Three new towns and villages have been named as the ‘dream places to live’ in France in a new ranking for 2026.
The fifth annual edition of the list from Ville de Rêve, published on January 27, judged each city and town, small town, and village on 900 criteria from 130 data sources to make its selection.
Winner, large and medium-sized towns: Vannes (Morbihan, Brittany)
Medieval streets helped the Breton city top the rankingFlorian Augustin/Shutterstock
With its historic wall, medieval gates, colourful half-timber houses, imposing cathedral, and harbour overlooking the gulf of Morbihan, Vannes scores well on beauty and heritage. Its railway station is also impressive, with fast links to Paris, Nantes, and Rennes making it easily accessible.
Quimper (Finistère, Brittany) and Besançon (Doubs, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) came in second and third place respectively.
Winner, small towns: Guérande (Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire)
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Guérande has medieval walls and a long history of producing saltRanguin remi/Shutterstock
Another beautiful medieval walled town, Guérande may also be familiar as a renowned producer of high-quality salt, notably fleur de sel, traditionally used to finish dishes off with a flourish. As an “almost island (presqu'île)”, the town sits on a peninsula that gives it welcome access to waterside views. Several train stations are close by, while the town and area are well-served by regular local buses.
The towns of Vitré (Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany) and Fouesnant (Finistère, Brittany) rounded out the podium.
Winner, villages: Locronan (Finistère, Brittany)
Cobblestone streets and stone houses in LocronanMagSpace/Shutterstock
Already recognised as one of the 'Plus Beaux Villages de France', Locronan is a historic village dating back to Celtic times, with elegant houses and charming cobbled streets. As a centre for growing hemp, the village became prosperous, and has technically been a ‘small town’ since Anne of Brittany named it so in 1505. With an annual pilgrimage festival, it scores highly on community as well as heritage and beauty.
Châtillon-en-Diois (Drôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) and Nances (Savoie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) came just behind in second and third.
Brittany has the most success, with 110 locations listed
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has 103
Occitanie (92 locations)
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (75)
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (73)
Pays de la Loire (37)
Ile-de-France (37)
Grand Est (31)
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (23)
Hauts-de-France (14)
Normandy (11)
Centre-Val de Loire (9)
Corsica (4)
Dream place to live?
Ville de Rêve was founded by Parisian Jérôme Devouge who created the brand after finding himself unsure about where he wanted to live after the Covid pandemic, and travelling for a year. Ville de Rêve now aims to help people across France discover their ‘dream’ location.
It collects data for 35,000 French towns and villages to create its ranking every year, with judging categories spread over 19 themes, including:
Accessibility and transport
Beauty and attractiveness
Weather
Health (including access to healthcare, and attributes such as air quality)
Safety and security
Sports
Public life, citizenship and community
Cost of living
Quality of life
Culture
Dynamism and innovation
Economy and work
Education
Nature and environment
Data sources used include major databases and official statistics bureaux including from Ministries of the Interior, Culture, Education, Ecology, and the Economy; and research bodies including INSEE, DRIAS, ADEME and ARCEP.
