High Point Holidays Walking Holidays Brochure 2016 High Point Holidays Walking Holidays Brochure 2017 | Page 8

More Beaux Villages

A total of about 155 villages across mainland France have
been given the pres3gious 'most beau3ful villages of
France' award. Let’s introduce you to a few more of our
favourites.

Montbrun-les-Bains

Semur-en-Brionnais

As you climb the hill to enter Montbrun,
built on 6 levels on a steep hillside, you'll
walk through the clock tower emerging into
the upper village with its 16th century cobbled alleyways and stone houses. The extensive remains of its chateau sit on top of
the hill overlooking a valley bathed in lavender. The narrow streets lead from one
fountain to the next, down to the bottom of
the village where the pump rooms have
given a new lease of life to an ancient
spring. You'll have plenty of time to explore
this fascinating village before making the
short walk to your beautiful guest house on
our self guided walk in the Baronnies. See
article Off the Beaten Track on page 6.

Situated on a ridge in southern Burgundy, Semur-en-Brionnais is the historic
capital of the Brionnais region. This
former stronghold of Saint Hugues,
founder of Cluny Abbey, has heritage
aplenty with a 9th century fortified castle and square keep, and a superb Romanesque Church of Saint Hilaire with its
tower displaying eight arches and columns. Its old houses with their almost
pinkish hue and its Romanesque buildings surrounded by vine covered slopes
make this a beautiful location. See page
23 for Beautiful Brionnais: Secret Hills
of Burgundy.

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Saint-Veran
In the heart of the Queyras Regional Park
at a height of 2042m, Saint-Véran is the
highest inhabited village in Europe. The village retains its traditional buildings built
with wood and stone and tiled with slate.
Most of the dwellings are separate from one
another allowing the sun to penetrate between the houses and along the roads. The
sunshine is an important theme in Saint
Véran with around 20 historic buildings having sun dials painted on their walls. Many
date back to the renaissance, with one of
the most impressive being on the wall of the
church. The village is an important stop-over
for many alpine walks and treks. See page
36 for Tour of Queyras: An Alpine Secret

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