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Who are we?
Who are we?
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France began in 1981 with an encounter between a man and a book. The book was the eponymous album published by Reader’s Digest, and the man was Charles Ceyrac, Mayor of Collonges-la-Rouge. The elected representative from Corrèze saw in this book a way to champion a cause close to his heart: to unite forces and passions to protect and promote the remarkable heritage of these exceptional villages, thereby offering them an alternative to rural depopulation. Sixty-six mayors followed Charles Ceyrac on this venture, which was officially launched on 6 March 1982 in Salers (Cantal).
Today, the network comprises 184 villages spread across 14 regions and 72 departments. Avoiding the pitfalls of a soulless ‘museum village’ or, conversely, those of a ‘theme park’, and reconciling the villages with the future – that is our reasoned and passionate ambition.
Strategy and objectives, organisation and operations: take a look behind the scenes to find out everything about our network!
Strategy and objectives
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