Description:

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France - The Most Beautiful Villages of France - is a French association created in 1982 to promote tourism and to preserve and enrich the heritage of small villages in France. As at November 2010 it had 155 members throughout France.

Membership of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France is subject to a number of selective criteria, defined in the the association's constitution but membership is not mandatory. Many villages that fall within the criteria for admission do not put themselves forward and you may come across many exceptional villages that don't carry 'Les Plus Beaux Villages' endorsement.

There are numerous criteria for membership of the association but the principal ones are:

* population less than 2,000

* filing an application for membership has the backing of the village or commune council

* possession of at least two sites of historical interest or listed monuments

* a political commitment to include conservation measures as part of the planning process

In Pays de la Loire,there are presently three villages carrying the badge of being amongst Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and these are:

• Sainte Suzanne in Mayenne (the newest addition)
• Montsoreau in Maine et Loire
• Vouvant in Vendée

Like this article? Why not use our RSS feed and receive updates as soon as they are posted? Or join us as a member and receive a monthly newsletter.

Check out Guide2Paysdelaloire for Property in Pays de la Loire, Events, News, Classifieds, Places to Stay, Pays de la Loire Attractions and Business Directory.