Created in Brittany in 1976 by geographer Jean-Bernard Vighetti, the "Petites Cités de Caractère" label recognises around 268 towns of under 6,000 residents with a coherent architectural heritage, spread across 13 regions of France. Here is the complete official list, covering all 13 regions of the network (257 towns across 64 departments), complemented by an illustrated selection.
Illustrated selection
Roscoff
A Breton port renowned for its thalassotherapy and exotic gardens benefiting from a microclimate, a former privateer town.
See on the map →Montmorillon
A city of the book and graphic trades on the Gartempe river, with its octagon dedicated to writing and its Notre-Dame church.
See on the map →Sorde-l'Abbaye
A village around a Benedictine abbey listed by UNESCO as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela, between the Gave d'Oloron and hillsides.
See on the map →Plombières-les-Bains
An imperial spa town nestled in a steep Vosges valley, once frequented by Napoleon III and his court.
See on the map →Pont-Croix
A town with remarkable medieval heritage, the first French municipality labelled a Best Tourism Village by UN Tourism.
See on the map →Locronan
A Breton granite-stone village with Renaissance houses, once a major centre of the linen-weaving industry.
See on the map →Josselin
A small town dominated by the feudal castle of the Dukes of Rohan, its crenellated towers reflected in the Oust river.
See on the map →Vitré
A medieval town with exceptionally preserved ramparts and half-timbered houses, dominated by its fortified castle.
See on the map →Moncontour
A town of character perched on a promontory, retaining fortified gates and half-timbered houses.
See on the map →Le Faou
A village with colourful half-timbered houses lining the estuary, at the gateway to the Crozon peninsula.
See on the map →Ay-Champagne
The historic capital of Champagne, a wine town surrounded by grand cru vineyards, cradle of several prestigious houses.
See on the map →Joinville
A small river town on the Marne, a former stronghold of the Princes of Guise, with rich Renaissance heritage.
See on the map →Saint-Mihiel
A Meuse town renowned for its Renaissance sculptures by Ligier Richier and its listed Benedictine library.
See on the map →Hombourg-Haut
A small Moselle town with a Gothic collegiate church, overlooking the Rosselle valley from its promontory.
See on the map →Ervy-le-Châtel
A former Champagne bastide with 16th-century covered market halls and the richly decorated Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens church.
See on the map →Épernon
A small Beauce town with rich architectural heritage, among wash-houses, mills and old market halls.
See on the map →Oiron
A village around a Renaissance château housing a contemporary art collection, in the plain and valley of the Thouet.
See on the map →Bourg (Gironde)
A citadel overlooking the confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers, between limestone cliffs and vineyard hillsides.
See on the map →Sarlat-la-Canéda
One of France's best-preserved medieval towns, with golden-stone streets and Renaissance mansions.
See on the map →Uzès
France's first barony, a town with rich architectural heritage around its Place aux Herbes and its duchy.
See on the map →Vic-le-Comte
The former capital of the county of Auvergne, renowned for its Sainte-Chapelle and preserved architectural heritage.
See on the map →Billom
A medieval university town renowned for its former college and the half-timbered houses of its historic centre.
See on the map →Confirmed official list, by department
All 13 regions of the network are now covered, totalling 257 towns spread across 64 departments, compiled from the national list of the "Petites Cités de Caractère® de France" label (2026). The overseas departments and territories (DROM-COM) have no labelled towns to date.
Ain (1)
Ambronay
Allier (4)
Billy · Bourbon-l'Archambault · Hérisson · Ébreuil
Ardennes (2)
Mouzon · Rocroi
Ardèche (4)
Chalencon · Coux · Désaignes · Saint-Vincent-de-Barrès
Ariège (1)
Saint-Lizier
Aube (7)
Bar-sur-Aube · Bar-sur-Seine · Ervy-le-Châtel · Essoyes · Les Riceys · Mussy-sur-Seine · Nogent-sur-Seine
Aude (3)
Bram · Caunes-Minervois · Rennes-le-Château
Aveyron (6)
Combret · Peyreleau · Saint-Geniez-d'Olt-et-d'Aubrac · Sainte-Croix · Sévérac-le-Château · Villecomtal
Bas-Rhin (1)
Bouxwiller
Calvados (2)
Touques · Valambray
Cantal (8)
Laroquebrou · Marcolès · Menet · Montsalvy · Murat · Pleaux · Saint-Urcize · Vic-sur-Cère
Charente (5)
Aubeterre-sur-Dronne · Confolens · Nanteuil-en-Vallée · Verteuil-sur-Charente · Villebois-Lavalette
Charente-Maritime (3)
Marans · Saint-Sauvant · Saint-Savinien-sur-Charente
Cher (3)
Aubigny-sur-Nère · Drevant · Sancerre
Corrèze (1)
Treignac
Creuse (1)
Bénévent-l'Abbaye
Côtes-d'Armor (8)
Châtelaudren · Guingamp · Jugon-les-Lacs · La Roche-Derrien · Moncontour · Pontrieux · Quintin · Tréguier
Deux-Sèvres (10)
Airvault · Arçais · Celles-sur-Belle · Chef-Boutonne · Coulon · La Mothe-Saint-Héray · Mauléon · Melle · Oiron · Saint-Loup-Lamairé
Dordogne (6)
Brantôme-en-Périgord · Excideuil · Hautefort · Issigeac · Saint-Aulaye-Puymangou · Saint-Cyprien
Drôme (5)
Bourdeaux · Donzère · Saint-Restitut · Sauzet · Suze-la-Rousse
Eure-et-Loir (4)
Illiers-Combray · La Ferté-Vidame · Thiron-Gardais · Épernon
Finistère (7)
Guerlesquin · Le Conquet · Le Faou · Locronan · Pont-Aven · Pont-Croix · Roscoff
Gard (2)
Castillon-du-Gard · Vénéjan
Gers (3)
Cologne · Lombez · Lupiac
Gironde (2)
Bourg · Cadillac-sur-Garonne
Haute-Corse (1)
L'Île-Rousse
Haute-Garonne (1)
Martres-Tolosane
Haute-Loire (6)
Allègre · Auzon · Chilhac · Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille · Saint-Pal-de-Chalencon · Saint-Paulien
Haute-Marne (5)
Bourmont · Châteauvillain · Joinville · Montsaugeon · Vignory
Haute-Vienne (2)
Eymoutiers · Le Dorat
Hautes-Alpes (2)
Garde-Colombe · Serres
Hérault (2)
Laroque · Lunas
Ille-et-Vilaine (8)
Bazouges-la-Pérouse · Bécherel · Châteaugiron · Combourg · Dol-de-Bretagne · La Guerche-de-Bretagne · Montfort-sur-Meu · Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier
Indre (2)
Levroux · Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre
Indre-et-Loire (4)
Beaulieu-lès-Loches · Luynes · Richelieu · Rochecorbon
Isère (2)
Crémieu · Saint-Chef
Landes (3)
Amou · Labastide-d'Armagnac · Sorde-l'Abbaye
Loir-et-Cher (3)
Mondoubleau · Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire · Troo
Loire (3)
Charlieu · Le Crozet · Saint-Bonnet-le-Château
Loire-Atlantique (4)
Batz-sur-Mer · Le Croisic · Piriac-sur-Mer · Sévérac
Loiret (3)
Château-Renard · Ferrières-en-Gâtinais · Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire
Lot (1)
Gourdon
Lozère (2)
La Malène · Marvejols
Maine-et-Loire (15)
Aubigné-sur-Layon · Baugé-en-Anjou · Blaison-Saint-Sulpice · Béhuard · Denée · Gennes-Val-de-Loire · Ingrandes-Le Fresne sur Loire · Le Coudray-Macouard · Le Puy-Notre-Dame · Mauges-sur-Loire · Montreuil-Bellay · Montsoreau · Ombrée d'Anjou · Savennières · Turquant
Manche (1)
Bricquebec-en-Cotentin
Marne (5)
Aÿ · Cormicy · Sainte-Ménehould · Sézanne · Vertus
Mayenne (7)
Chailland · Lassay-les-Châteaux · Parné-sur-Roc · Saint-Denis-d'Anjou · Saint-Pierre-sur-Erve · Sainte-Suzanne-et-Chammes · Saulges
Meuse (3)
Marville · Saint-Mihiel · Vaucouleurs
Morbihan (6)
Josselin · La Roche-Bernard · Malestroit · Pont-Scorff · Port-Louis · Rochefort-en-Terre
Moselle (4)
Bitche · Fénétrange · Hombourg-Haut · Vic-sur-Seille
Nord (1)
Le Quesnoy
Orne (8)
Belforêt-en-Perche · Bellême · Longny les Villages · Mortagne-au-Perche · Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei · Sap-en-Auge · Sées · Écouché-les-Vallées
Puy-de-Dôme (12)
Artonne · Besse · Champeix · Chauriat · Châteldon · La Sauvetat · Le Broc · Montaigut-le-Blanc · Nonette · Saint-Floret · Saint-Saturnin · Vic-le-Comte
Pyrénées-Atlantiques (1)
Sauveterre-de-Béarn
Pyrénées-Orientales (3)
Collioure · Ille-sur-Têt · Mosset
Rhône (2)
Riverie · Ternand
Sarthe (11)
Asnières-sur-Vègre · Brûlon · Fresnay-sur-Sarthe · Le Lude · Luché-Pringé · Mamers · Montmirail · Parcé-sur-Sarthe · Saint-Calais · Saint-Léonard-des-Bois · Sillé-le-Guillaume
Savoie (1)
Chanaz
Seine-et-Marne (1)
Maincy
Tarn (3)
Ambialet · Lacaze · Lisle-sur-Tarn
Vaucluse (1)
Vaison-la-Romaine
Vendée (10)
Apremont · Faymoreau · Foussais-Payré · Mallièvre · Mortagne-sur-Sèvre · Mouchamps · Noirmoutier-en-l'Île · Pouzauges · Rives-d'Autise · Vouvant
Vienne (5)
Charroux · Château-Larcher · Lusignan · Montmorillon · Monts-sur-Guesnes
Vosges (4)
Châtillon-sur-Saône · Neufchâteau · Plombières-les-Bains · Senones