Bormes-les-Mimosas crowned as the Village Préféré des Français 2026

Bormes-les-Mimosas, found midway between Toulon and Saint-Tropez, has become the first Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur entry to be crowned France’s favourite village - receiving the most public votes of the 14 shortlisted villages.

The victory was announced on July 8 during the 2026 edition of the Village Préféré des Français programme presented by Stéphane Bern on France 3.

The local mairie organised an evening of entertainment to mark the occasion, with hundreds of residents gathering to discover the result of the competition. The programme was projected live onto a large screen that was set up in the village’s Place Saint-François. 

“When Stéphane Bern announced that Bormes-les-Mimosas had come first, Place Saint-François erupted with joy. Applause, hugs, smiles and even a few tears marked this historic moment, which will remain engraved in our memories,” the mairie wrote in a Facebook post.

Millions of viewers tune in to watch the annual contest, organised by France Télévisions, with winning villages typically seeing a substantial increase in tourist numbers.

This can sometimes lead to complications if not properly anticipated. However, the mairie of Bormes-les-Mimosas said it is “aware of these challenges” and has already made preparations to welcome more visitors through the installation of new parking facilities for coaches. 

“This success is, above all, the result of a tremendous team effort,” stated the mayor, François Arizzi.

Yellow blooms, sea views and a historic chateau

Bormes-les-Mimosas (Var) was known only as ‘Bormes’ until 1968. ‘Mimosas’ was added on due to the popular Mimosa Route - a 130km journey along the Côte d’Azur that links several towns offering impressive mimosa displays.

Every year, an average of 18 million stems of this pretty yellow plant are picked and processed in Alpes-Maritimes and Var for use in perfumes, confectionary products and more. 

Mimosa-decorated floats pass through Bormes-les-Mimosas each February during the Grand Corso du Mimosa festival. 

However, mimosa is considered an invasive species as it does not originate in France and can quickly spread across an area and cause problems for native fauna and flora. 

Bormes-les-Mimosas is also home to a ruined 13th-Century chateau called Le château des seigneurs de Fos, or known locally as Le château de Bormes. 

Wandering through the medieval winding cobbled alleyways visitors will find colourful houses linked by covered passageways known as cuberts, which were once used to store produce.

At an altitude of 145m, the village also offers views of the Mediterranean and surrounding Hyères islands - particularly the Île du Levant. 

Descending closer to the coast, the village appears among the Plus Belles Baies du Monde (Most Beautiful Bays in the World), with beaches offering fine sand, rugged coves and turquoise waters.

It is also one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most Beautiful Villages of France), which is an independent association that currently counts over 180 villages.

2026 Village Préféré des Français ranking

The 2025 title was awarded to the village of Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye (Isère) in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.