What is the smallest city in your country that everyone can still instantly recognise the name of? What is it famous for?

@NateNate60@lemmy.world · 5M

What is the smallest city in your country that everyone can still instantly recognise the name of? What is it famous for?

Zloubida · edit-2 5M

For France it’s probably Vichy, infamously well known internationally for being the capital of the French pro-Nazi government during the Occupation. Only 25’000 inhabitants.

@themoonisacheese@sh.itjust.works · 5M

Also consider that Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, of cheese fame, has 528 inhabitants.

Zloubida · 5M

I didn’t thought of that, you’re right!

@stormdelay@sh.itjust.works · 5M

Even without considering cheese villages (somebody mentioned Roquefort, I was thinking of Gruyere, France clocking in at about 100 inhabitants), I believe Verdun would be just as known and is smaller at a population of around 17000.

@razm@sh.itjust.works · 5M

Mont Saint-Michel, pop. 25

@BastingChemina@slrpnk.net · 5M

Chamonix of also a good contender with a population of 9000 habitants

@Storspoven@feddit.nu · 5M

Admittedly my WW2 history knowledge is quite lacking, but I don’t recognise Vichy because of the war stuff.

But I do recognise Vichy! Because we have a sub-type of mineral water in Sweden that is named after Vichy, “Vichyvatten”. Wikipedia tells me the original was from a spring near Vichy, hence the name.

Zloubida · 5M

The two facts are linked: Vichy was chosen as the new capital after the occupation of Paris because of the springs. There were a lot of hotels and means of communication because of the luxurious spas.

@Interesting_Test_814@jlai.lu · edit-2 5M

Nice one, didn’t think of that ! I suggested the one-letter town Y (population : 89), which is obviously much less well-known, but is also much smaller.

Edit : just realised, the airport city Roissy-en-France at under 3k inhabitants is a huge contender too that wasn’t mentioned