Petites Cités de Caractèr / Small Cities of Character

The concept of Petites Cités de Caractère, created in 1975 in Brittany, was born of a desire to create a network of communities, each having its own interesting or unusual history and which wishing to protect that history. Through a national charter established in 2009 the movement Petites Cités de Caractère® took upon itself the task of maintaining, restoring, safeguarding and publicising that heritage, thereby contributing to the economic development of the region. In accordance with the demanding terms of the Charter there is a commitment by participants to optimise on their past in innovative ways by welcoming visitors and staging public events open to all. Many small towns have in their past been important administrative, religious, military or commercial centers and still have their monuments, gardens, buildings and museums which bear witness to their history.