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Discover historical France through the 'secteur sauvegardé' awards
Many of the most important historical town centres in France are now protected from further development with the 'secteur sauvegardé' classification, with the goal of preserving the appearance of the historical centre from any further development.
Any construction or renovation in these areas is closely monitored and controlled to ensure that the whole town centre remains unspoiled by new or inappropriate developments - for example, renovations are required to use the historical materials and techniques.
There are about 100 towns covered by these protection orders, and many would also be considered to be among the most attractive and interesting towns in France for visitors, so it is well worth seeing if there are any near you when you visit - I'm yet to be disappointed when visiting them, so the classification is quite a reliable indicator of a town worth visiting!
Below we have a list of the towns and cities which are protected, and then a map showing their locations.
- Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur)
- Albi (Tarn, Midi-Pyrenees)
- Amboise (Indre-et-Loire, Centre)
- Arles (Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur)
- Autun (Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy)
- Auxerre (Yonne, Burgundy)
- Avignon (Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur)
- Bar-le-Duc (Meuse, Lorraine)
- Bayeux (Calvados, Normandy)
- Bayonne (Pyrenees-Atlantiques, Aquitaine)
- Beaucaire (Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Besancon (Doubs, Franche-Comte)
- Beziers (Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Blois (Loir-et-Cher, Centre)
- Bordeaux (Gironde, Aquitaine)
- Bourges (Cher, Centre)
- Briancon (Hautes-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur)
- Cahors (Lot, Midi-Pyrenees)
- Carcassonne (Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Chalon-sur-Saone (Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy)
- Chambery (Savoie, Rhone-Alpes)
- Charleville-Mezieres (Ardennes, Champagne-Ardenne)
- Chartres (Eure-et-Loir, Centre)
- Chateau-Gontier (Mayenne, Pays-de-la-Loire)
- Chatillon-sur-Thouet (Deux-Sevres, Poitou-Charentes)
- Chinon (Indre-et-Loire, Centre)
- Clamecy (Nievre, Burgundy)
- Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dome, Auvergne)
- Cluny (Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy)
- Colmar (Haut-Rhin, Alsace)
- Dijon (Cote d'Or, Burgundy)
- Dinan (Cotes-d'Armor, Brittany)
- Dole (Jura, Franche-Comte)
- Figeac (Lot, Midi-Pyrenees)
- Fontenay-le-Comte (Vendee, Pays-de-la-Loire)
- Grasse (Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur)
- Guerande (Loire-Atlantique, Pays-de-la-Loire)
- Honfleur (Calvados, Normandy)
- Joigny (Yonne, Burgundy)
- La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes)
- Langres (Haute-Marne, Champagne-Ardenne)
- Laon (Aisne, Picardy)
- Le Mans (Sarthe, Pays-de-la-Loire)
- Le Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire, Auvergne)
- Lille (Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais)
- Loches (Indre-et-Loire, Centre)
- Lyon (Rhone, Rhone-Alpes)
- Menton (Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur)
- Mers-les-Bains (Somme, Picardy)
- Metz (Moselle, Lorraine)
- Monpazier (Dordogne, Aquitaine)
- Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees)
- Montpellier (Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine)
- Nantes (Loire-Atlantique, Pays-de-la-Loire)
- Narbonne (Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Nerac (Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine)
- Neufchateau (Vosges, Lorraine)
- Nice (Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur)
- Nimes (Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Parthenay (Deux-Sevres, Poitou-Charentes)
- Perigueux (Dordogne, Aquitaine)
- Perpignan (Pyrenees-Orientales, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Pezenas (Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Poitiers (Vienne, Poitou-Charentes)
- Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany)
- Richelieu (Indre-et-Loire, Centre)
- Riom (Puy-de-Dome, Auvergne)
- Rouen (Seine-Maritime, Normandy)
- Saint-Emilion (Gironde, Aquitaine)
- Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines, Paris)
- Saint-Gilles (Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Saintes (Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes)
- Sarlat (Dordogne, Aquitaine)
- Saumur (Maine-et-Loire, Pays-de-la-Loire)
- Sedan (Ardennes, Champagne-Ardenne)
- Senlis (Oise, Picardy)
- Sommieres (Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin, Alsace)
- Thiers (Puy-de-Dome, Auvergne)
- Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees)
- Tournus (Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy)
- Tours (Indre-et-Loire, Centre)
- Treguier (Cotes-d'Armor, Brittany)
- Troyes (Aube, Champagne-Ardenne)
- Uzes (Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Vannes (Morbihan, Brittany)
- Versailles (Yvelines, Paris)
- Vezelay (Yonne, Burgundy)
- Villeneuve-les-Avignon (Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon)
- Vitre (Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany)
- Viviers (Ardeche, Rhone-Alpes)