Sancerre is in the Loire Valley, declared a World Heritage Site.
We have had to wait several months to find out the favorite village of the French, but it has finally been revealed name of the winner of this competition in which this year 14 of the most beautiful villages in France have participated. We discovered it last night live on the television program Village Préféré des Français, from France 3, presented by Stéphane Bern, nicknamed the Monsieur Patrimoine: Sancerre, in the department of Cher, is the chosen one thanks to the votes of the viewers.
The news that, on this side of the Pyrenees, may seem anecdotal, in the neighboring country it has become a whole cultural event that crowds millions of people in front of the television. And it is not for less, if we take into account that the number of tourist visits to the village who holds this title for a whole year is multiplied exponentially from the very moment that his name is made known on the small French screen.
As a curiosity, it should be noted that this is the first time, since the creation of the contest in 2012, that a municipality in the Centre-Val de Loire region wins the media award, which last year went to the village of Hunspach, in the Lower Rhine department.
Sancerre, the favorite town of the French in 2021.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Surely, if you are a wine lover, you already know that the village, located on top of a hill, owes its fame to a well-known winery of the same name that produces some appreciated white wines based on sauvignon grapes under the name AOC Sancerre. But his rich historical heritage The liquid element has nothing to envy: a bell tower built in 1509, a feudal tower from the 14th century, mansions from the 17th, a Château surrounded by vineyards... Well, actually everything is surrounded by vineyards on the banks of the Loire.
get lost by the alleys of its medieval historic center It is obligatory, although you can also do it by bicycle along the river or through any of its 20 hiking trails, that run through Sancerre and its surroundings.
Another Designation of Controlled Origin that the area can boast of is that of the Crottins de Chavignol goat cheese: creamy and spreadable when fresh (crust is white) and quite brittle and itchy when dry (exterior turns orange).
Whatever reason you go to Sancerre, we are sure that it will also become your favorite town in France.