Small Towns of Character®

Federate the various actors around a common objective: the preservation and enhancement of heritage as levers for the development of the territory.

Born in Brittany in the mid-1970s, the national brand Petites Cités de Caractère® promotes atypical towns, formerly religious, political, military or commercial centers which have seen their urban functions reduced, which have lost a large part of their population and the financial means necessary to maintain their heritage.  

So that the fundamental characteristics of the Small Towns of Character® remain, while integrating the necessary developments of their time, the municipalities have equipped themselves with appropriate protection and management tools, and project methodologies that place heritage at the heart of the territory project.

The Small Towns of Character® are recognized today as territories with undeniable tourist and heritage issues. Gathered within a regional and national network, they share a real enthusiasm, collective values ​​that give life and meaning to the concept. To date, 2 municipalities in the Ardennes are Small Towns of Character®: Mouzon and Rocroi.

To become a Small City of Character®, the municipality must:

• Be subject to protection under Historic Monuments, or a Remarkable Heritage Site;
• Have less than 6 inhabitants on the date of the application for membership in the municipality, in the delegated municipality of a new municipality, or within the perimeter of the Remarkable Heritage Site;
• Have a building dense enough to give it the appearance of a city, hold a quality and homogeneous architectural heritage that bears witness to its history, have exercised and/or exercise central urban functions;
• Have a multi-year program for the restoration and rehabilitation of built heritage and the enhancement of tangible and intangible heritage;
• Join the tourism development strategy of its territory.

To be and remain a Small City of Character®, the municipality undertakes to:

• Carry out an active policy in favor of the maintenance, restoration and enhancement of public and private heritage;
• Act in favor of the beautification and requalification of public spaces in accordance with the requirements of the site and its typology;
• Work actively to welcome the public;
• Permanently promote the animation of the city;
• Participate in the life of the network;
• Ensure, in the implementation of all its commitments, to put into practice the principles related to the expression of cultural rights and sustainable development.

How it works ?

An application file must be submitted to the Petites Cités de Caractère® du Grand Est association, which will convene an on-site approval committee bringing together, around the elected officials of the candidate municipality, the representatives of the Petites Cités de Caractère® and the various partners. heritage and tourism, such as the Departmental Unit of Architecture and Heritage (UDAP), the Heritage Foundation, the Departmental Tourism Agency, etc. The control commissions meet every 3 (homologable) or every 5 years (approved), in order to issue an opinion on the policies implemented by the municipality, in compliance with the Petites Cités de Caractère® quality charter. This methodological guide shows how to put together an application file.

What advantages?

Heritage, a driver of integration and social ties, makes it possible to economically revitalize these ancient cities, based on their past or present central functions, by developing cultural and heritage tourism all year round, around a strategy of tourism development which falls within the fields of sustainable tourism and Slow Tourism. To achieve this, the Petites Cités de Caractère® network implements shared operations as well as promotional and communication actions.

Learn more about https://www.petitescitesdecaractere.com

How much does it cost ?

Membership of the brand in Grand Est is €1,24 per inhabitant + €200 / year, capped at €4000

Documentation