In France there are many quality labels, these are also rewarded for tourism and touristic places. These quality labels are awarded by the government, industry organizations or other institutions.
These quality labels can be awarded for various reasons and can mean absolutely anything. It can indicate a top quality attraction or can be a reward for a certain effort of a region. The aim of these quality labels is to help tourists and other interested parties determine whether they want to visit a certain area.
Vignobles & Découvertes
This national quality label is all about wine in all its facets. It can indicate beautiful vineyards, wine cellars, cultural sites, nature reserves or a location where it’s possible to get acquainted with local expertise. Wine regions and wine routes are also indicated using this label. Everything related to wine, both in the vineyard or distilled, is covered which this quality label. This label can be found in the wine regions of Bordeaux, Bergerac, Champagne, Cognac, Languedoc and Provence.
Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant
The “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” quality mark is all about living heritage. It is awarded to people or companies that stand out due to their professional competence and the development and manufacturing of exceptional products. It is a hallmark for creativity “à la française”. This can be awarded in a large number of areas such as interior decoration, table coverings, fashion, etc. This quality label includes special porcelain from Limoges, Basque fabrics or knives from Nontron. The Aubusson tapestry art even has a place on the Unesco intangible cultural heritage list.
Grand site de France
For special and characteristic landscapes, there is the label “Grand Site de France”. The nature reserves that have this label are protected landscapes where tourists are allowed to visit, but they are also carefully monitored to ensure the visitors have no negative influence on the environment. Examples of such characteristic landscapes are the swamps in Poitou-Charentes (Marais Poitevin), the special dunes in Gironde (Dune du Pilat), the mountains in Languedoc (Canigou), the caves of Lascaux in Dordogne, the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, a limestone massif in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct converted into a bridge in the Languedoc-Roussillon region and the Camargue, located west of Marseille.
Les Plus Beaux Village de France
The national label of the most beautiful villages in France “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France” is intended for authentic and picturesque villages that have retained their original character over the centuries. These unique villages are located all around France, but especially in the Dordogne and the Lot region. Examples of such villages are Castelnaud, Roque Gageac, Monflanquin, Turenne, Collongues-la-Rouge, Autoire, Beynac et Cazenac, Carennac, Domme, Conques and Tourtour.
They have an ancient history, fortified villages, unique locations such as on a mountain or in the countryside, villages with beautiful gardens and small fishing villages. The typical French culture can be found in all these villages.
This quality label has two important criteria that a village must meet to be eligible for most beautiful village:
- a village may not have more than 2000 inhabitants
- there must be at least two protected sites or monuments in the village.
Petites Cités de Caractère
This quality label was established in Brittany and the Franche-Comté with the aim of distinguishing towns and villages with a special heritage. These small towns full of character know how to present their "art de vivre", have rich architectural or landscaping heritage and tourists are well received. These towns are all very beautiful, examples are towns like Coulon and Melle.
Villes and Pays d'Art et d'Histoire
This seal is intended to preserve the French heritage and is awarded to cities and areas rich in art treasures and history. An important condition is that the heritage is actively promoted such as through guided tours, exhibitions and special routes for connoisseurs and interested parties. There are many cities and areas with the “Villes et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire” label, such as Bordeaux, Poitiers, Sarlat, Cahors, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Perpignan, Hyeres, Grasse and Île de Ré.