The pretty but unexepcted town that's France’s 'best place to live'

The top of the list is filled with towns in Normandy and Brittany. (Image: Getty)

A charming town largely unknown to most French people has been ranked among the best places to live in France, according to a new study. As climate change reshapes ideas of the ideal lifestyle, many are turning away from the increasingly hot French Riviera and looking instead to the cooler, rainier landscapes of Brittany. This week, the French newspaper Le Parisien released a national ranking of the best and worst towns in France with a population of over 20,000 in which to live in next ten years.

The study conducted in collaboration with the national forecaster Météo France, focused on weather as the main factor. The criteria include average temperature in 2050 and 2100, number of very hot days, number of tropical nights, as well as the risk of flooding and forest fires. The south-western fishing port of Sète ranked last and others near the bottom included Marseille and Avignon. In contrast, towns in northern parts of Normandy and Brittany topped the list - with one unexpected town to come first.

Fougères on a summer day. (Image: Getty)

The winner was Fougères, a small town in north-east Britanny about 30 miles from a bigger city Rennes. With a population of about 20,600, the former shoemaking capital of France has become considerably wealthy thanks to its textile and crystal glass industry. One thing that truly stands out about the place is that despite its rich cultural heritage, Fougères still doesn't suffer from overtourism, which is another reason why it's a pleasant place for the locals to settle in.  

Located close enough to the Atlantic coast to benefit from its humidity and far enough to avoid floots, the town has impeccable climate credentials. Its climate, protecting Fougères from extreme heat, is the top reason why it has topped the list. It boasts lots of trees and waterways, valleys and surrounding forests. 

Diana Lefeuvre, the town’s deputy mayor in charge of green transition, said: "Its strengths lie in the fact that it is quite high up, it is protected by a beach forest that keeps it cool and provides drinking water, notably via drains built 200 years ago. It is hilly and has three waterways running through it. In fact, the city and castle were built around the river.

"We've also planted a lot of trees. There are 7,000, one for every three inhabitants, and these green lungs are one of our most important assets."

Located about 25 miles inland, Fougères is projected to experience fewer than five days with extreme heat (temperatures of at least 35 °C) and only around ten tropical nights (when temperatures remain above 20 °C) by the year 2100. In contrast, parts of the Mediterranean coast and the Provence hinterland could face more than 100 tropical nights annually by 2100 - roughly double the frequency seen in recent decades.

Alongside its pleasant climate, the town's high quality of life appeals to both residents and visitors alike. As a visitor from Norfolk put it for The Telegraph: "If you look at the weather today in Norfolk, it's roughly the same weather but the food's 10 times better."