The 13 prettiest villages in France
From Provence to Bretagne, the Basque Country to Alsace and Normandy to Auvergne, France has a stunning variety of tranquil villages for escaping urban chaos and easing into a slower pace of local traditions. Whether meandering through ancient alleyways and sun-dappled squares or watching fishermen unload crates of lobster, observing everyday life in these hilltop hamlets and picturesque ports is the gateway to understanding the spirit of these places. We’ve rounded up 13 beautiful villages in France with dreamy views – a kaleidoscope of red-clay rooftops, pastel façades, centuries-old farmsteads, golden-hued castles, flower-dotted fields and vineyards, plus an array of fine regional wine and food.
Getty ImagesEygalières
Gorgeous market towns are a dime a dozen in Provence. But few are as lovely as Eygalières, where a buzzing – but never too busy – main thoroughfare is backed by craggy slopes and the peaks of the Alpilles. In town, you’ll find all the usual suspects: a boulangerie, a couple of antique shops and a fromagerie, all covered in winding, twirling greenery. Stroll along the main street to the chateau, set atop the hill that overlooks the village and the surrounding olive groves, before making your way back to one of the cafés that sit at the bottom of the village by the Marie; the candy-coloured metal chairs at Café de la Place are always packed with a crowd of locals and tourists. Market day is Friday, if you want to plan a visit around perusing the sweet stalls that set up shop throughout the narrow streets here. Sarah James
Getty ImagesMoustiers Sainte-Marie, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
This lively medieval potter’s village, sitting atop the entrance to the spectacular Gorges du Verdon canyon, is definitely the place to scoop up some famed faience ceramics adorned with delicate arabesques of birds and flowers, but the attraction doesn’t stop there. Protected by a suspended five-pointed gold star dangling on a chain between rocky ledges, the town is slashed in two by the Adou river, with steep cobbled paths criss-crossing little stone bridges and limestone cliffs that glow pink at sunset. Don’t miss a dip in the nearby emerald-green Lac de Sainte-Croix and a Haute Provençal lunch at the bucolic, Ducasse-owned country inn La Bastide de Moustiers.
Getty ImagesVillefrance-sur-Mer, Cote d'Azur
Glimpsed from a bend on the coastal road, this once-sleepy fishing village – apricot- and lemon-coloured houses stacked against a painterly curve of shimmering blue sea, with bobbing wooden boats and an imposing trapezoid-shaped 16th-century stone Citadel – is still deeply authentic without the trappings of other nearby tourist towns. Wander through the backstreets to the rue obscure, a dark and mysterious medieval vaulted passageway, then sip an apéro at the quayside Welcome Hotel, Jean Cocteau’s former digs; just across is the pink 14th-century chapel he redecorated with his mystical frescoes. Water babies should head for the port, La Darse, a nautical hub for diving, sailing, rowing and boat restoration with a lovely pebbly beach.
Getty ImagesPloumanc'h, Brittany
You don’t have to be a mystic to become enraptured by the ubiquitous pink granite boulders, piled helter-skelter along the shore, casting a glow on the untamed seascape of Ploumanc’h, a miniature fishing port on Brittany’s Côtes d’Armor. Pack your walking shoes for a hike around the GR34 footpath that winds its way around the coast, past the dusty-rose Men Ruz lighthouse at the entrance to the Channel. Further on, in the adjacent village of Perros-Guirrec, fuel up on freshly caught roast lobster or grilled octopus at Castel Beau Site, a waterside restaurant with a dreamy view of the neo-Gothic Costaérès castle on the tiny island opposite.
Getty ImagesSaint-Saturnin Puy-du-Done, Auvergne
The verdant countryside here abounds with royal stories, so history buffs should not miss a pit-stop at this flower-lined village of narrow cobblestoned streets with Renaissance fountains, an impressive Romanesque church and a splendidly restored 14th-century moated castle, the fief of the de La Tour d'Auvergne dynasty since 1281. Visit the dungeon where Reine Margot was briefly imprisoned and stay the night at the castle, which is also a charming five-room guesthouse where Charles IX and his mother Catherine de’ Medici once slept.
Getty ImagesBarfleur, Normandy
For a taste of wild mussels straight from the sea, head to this historic Norman fishing village on the north-eastern corner of the Cotentin peninsula (the very first port in the Anglo-Norman kingdom), famous for its fleshy Barfleur blondesvariety, which you can sample at any of the little harbourside restaurants with a plate of homemade frites and a pitcher of local cider. After a visit to the square-towered Saint Nicolas Church, stroll through the village and look up: the pretty granite- and schist-roofed houses are adorned with traditional red-clay glazed pottery of birds and animals.
Getty ImagesSeillans, Var
Hidden away in the peaceful backcountry near Grasse, Seillans clings to a rocky bluff overlooking a valley that was once renowned for its fragrant fields of perfume-making flowers. No wonder this unspoilt hilltop maze of steep cobbled alleys leading to a medieval castle and the 11th-century church of Saint Léger became the favourite hideaway of photographer Robert Doisneau and surrealist artist Max Ernst, a 12-year resident together with his wife Dorothea Tanning. See their art at the Maison Waldberg, then lunch – perhaps rosemary-spiked duck followed by a vanilla île flottante – on the plane-tree-shaded square next to a gurgling fountain at the Hotel des Deux Rocs.
Getty ImagesSare, Pyrennees-Atlantiques
Pelota fans will get a kick out of this picturesque little Basque hamlet at the foot of the Rhune and the Axuria mountains, only nine miles inland from the Atlantic coast. With several open-air courts (the largest is just opposite the town hall), you can watch locals bounce and smash the ball against the wall while nibbling a delicious black-cherry and custard-filled Gâteau Basque – there’s even a museum dedicated to the cake. The white farmhouses, trimmed with pretty red and green shutters, and the fortified church of Saint-Martin with its three rows of carved-oak balconies are must-sees, but do make time for walks in the surrounding countryside to prehistoric grottoes and fields of grazing pottoks (Basque ponies).
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Getty ImagesDomme, Dordogne
On a cliff high above the Dordogne valley, this fortified village not only has stupendous views but a rich storied past, beginning in the 14th century with the imprisoned Templars (look out for the still-visible prison graffiti etched in the rampart walls) and the turbulent Hundred Years’ War between France and England. Explore the buildings lining the streets, then descend to the celebrated caves, a vast network of tunnels under the main square filled with drippy stalactites and stalagmites. Don’t leave without tasting the local pride and joy – homemade foie gras, semi-cooked, smoked or pan-fried, and jazzed up with spices, apricots or figs – at Restaurant Cabanoix et Chataîgnes.
Getty ImagesPigna, Corsica
Thirty minutes inland from Calvi, the road snakes up through the Nervia Valley to this tiny village renowned for its traditional handmade crafts going back to the Middle Ages, with a cluster of rectangular blue-shuttered, honey-hued stone houses. Wander along narrow paths where cats snooze on windowsills, then take the labyrinthine stairs to a shady café terrace to admire the vistas across the surrounding olive groves and the shimmering Bay of Algajola. Music lovers may want to pick up handmade shepherd’s flutes and wind-up toys that play ancient Corsican melodies.
Getty ImagesMenerbes, Provence
Gone are the busloads of camera-toting Peter Mayle-crazed Provence lovers who once took this postcard-perfect village by storm. Beyond the rugged, austere beauty of Ménerbes, built into the rock with a sweeping view of the Lubéron valley and the blue-grey Alpilles foothills, there’s a prehistoric dolmen, a Gothic-meets-Romanesque 16th-century abbey, Sainte-Hilaire, as well as a quirky corkscrew museum and rows of carefully restored aristocratic houses, including Dora Maar’s former home, now a foundation and residence for American artists.
Getty ImagesKayserberg, Alsace
Along the 105-mile Alsace Wine Route, about a 30-minute drive from Colmar, Kaysersberg is the star of storybook gingerbread houses (it was elected France’s favourite village in 2017), without the saccharine quaintness of tourist towns. The long central street, with its shops and cafés, is extremely photogenic – a row of remarkable half-timbered 16th-century buildings with carved window frames and flower-filled balconies with façades painted brick red, pear yellow and lavender. Make your way up the steps to the ruins of the medieval castle for a bird’s eye view of the rooftops and neighbouring vineyards, then indulge in some white-wine-tasting of the region’s aromatic Grand Crus.
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Getty ImagesLautrec, Tarn
Home of the family of the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (the painter himself was born in the nearby episcopal city Albi), this quiet medieval country village in the Pays de Cocagne is steeped in the atmosphere of days gone by. Among the highlights are the 15th-century market halls, a wooden clog-maker’s workshop and a still-functioning 17th-century windmill on a hill above town where visitors can see how the flour was once made. If you fancy pink garlic, you’re in the right place – it’s locally grown and celebrated with an annual festival during the August harvest, when its pungent scent fills the streets and the restaurants dish up pink-garlic soup.