"les plus beaux villages de france"
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France est le nom d'une association française créée en 1982, mais également une marque de certification. En 2020, cette association compte 159 adhérents, dont 8 dans la région Centre-Val-de-Loire.
Cher :
Apremont-sur-Allier (also ranked 20th favorite village of the French in 2012)
It is in the heart of Berry that Apremont nestles, in a hedgerow landscape on the banks of the Allier. Dominated by its castle surrounded by a floral park inspired by the English garden of Vita Sackville-West in Sissinghurst, the village was completely restored in the last century.
Indre:
Gargilesse Dampierre (also classified flower village 1 *)
In the green valley of the Creuse, this Berry village so loved by George Sand has welcomed many painters seduced by the romantic vision of its houses with sloping roofs harmoniously grouped around the Romanesque church and the castle. Gargilesse maintains today an intense cultural activity in a simple and warm atmosphere.
Saint-Benoit du Sault (also ranked 15th favorite village of the French in 2014)
At the crossroads of Berry and Limousin, on a granite rock overlooking the river, this ancient medieval town inhabited by Benedictine monks offers, behind its ramparts, a charming stroll through its steep alleys, discovering its 15th century mansions and XVIth S, its church and its priory but also of the valley of the portfolio on which the village offers a pretty sight.
Indre-et-Loire:
Candes Saint Martin
A former fishing and shipping port born from the confluence between the Vienne and the Loire, Candes-Saint-Martin contrasts with its slate roofs and white tufa walls with which the houses and the Saint-Martin collegiate church are adorned.
Crissay-sur-Manse
In the heart of Touraine, in the Manse valley, this former châtellenie belonging to the Ile Bouchard and the archbishopric of Tours has preserved the ruins of its 15th century castle, its 16th century church which contains the tomb of Katerine du Bellay, cousin of the poet Joachim du Bellay, and her white tufa mansions where square turrets, mullioned windows and ornate windows take pride of place.
Montrésor (also classified as a green station)
50 km south-east of Tours, Montrésor landed on the banks of the Indrois where the remains of the double enclosure of this old fortress and its Renaissance castle are reflected. In the village, houses with white tufa or half-timbered walls stand side by side with semi-troglodyte dwellings.
Loir-et-Cher:
Lavardin (also ranked 18th favorite village of the French in 2013)
A Gothic bridge spans the Loir to access this village nestled at the foot of a fortified castle which resisted the assault of Richard the Lionheart but was taken by the troops of Henri IV. Today we can admire the remains of the enclosures and towers and its twenty-six meter high keep. In the village, styles and eras are mixed, from troglodyte houses to Gothic and Renaissance residences ...
Loiret:
Yèvre le Châtel (also classified as a flower village 1 *)
Between Paris and Orléans, Yèvre-le-Châtel combines the strength of its ramparts and its 13th century castle, watching over the Romanesque church of Saint-Gault and the unfinished nave of Saint-Lubin, with the charm of its flowery alleys, its old limestone mansions and gardens that inspire international painters and artists.