Rochefort-en-Terre in Morbihan, Brittany named as France’s favourite village

Brittany alone has many great traditional villages, so to come out top of the list means Rochefort-en-Terre, in the region of Morbihan, must be something very special. The village is placed on a rocky outcrop high above the River Arz. This accolade does not just cover Brittany, but the whole of France.

The award, from France2 TV in their “Village prefere des Francais” poll, comes after the village of Ploumanch’s victory last year, another Brittany beauty spot. So if you are staying on holiday in this area of France, these are two fabulous places to visit. Approximately 175,000 people voted, and if previous years are to go by, then Rochefort-en-Terre with its 700 residents will see a greatly increased volume of visitors over the next 12 months. The local mayor expects something in the region of 900,000, but hopes that will slowly decrease to reasonable proportions in future years, but it has certainly put this little village on the map.

Rochefort-en-Terre has wonderful narrow streets, picture perfect squares and stone renaissance buildings, like the Post Office in Rue Notre Dame de la Tronchay. In the past a French-born American painter called Alfred Klotz purchased the local château and encouraged the local people to decorate their houses with geraniums. This tradition has taken hold and brightens the whole village with blooms to this day. There is also a castle and pretty half-timbered buildings are a dominant feature of the building, including the charming Café de la Pente.

Rochefort-en-Terre is a hub for artists and craftsmen to gather and be inspired and consequently has many ateliers and workshops in its narrow streets. These include potters, candle makers, toymakers and incredible artisan biscuit makers. For much of the summer all the streets in Rochefort-en-Terre are illuminated during the evenings, making it even more magical and enchanting.