NB : Climate shows average sunshine hours per year supplied by Meteo
France & compared to UK rate of 1,341 pa. Property prices supplied by
Notaires de France and correct at time of going to press.
64
ONE TO WATCH
"I would choose St Emilion.
It's a 'must see' when visiting the
Gironde, famous for its wine,
underground monuments and
architectural heritage. The town
was given the status of World
Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999,
an award that is richly deserved.
Quite simply this is a beautiful
spot, with top class restaurants
and surrounded by the world
famous St Emilion vineyards"
Helen Charlesworth is area
coordinator in the Gironde
Email: helen@leggett.fr
REGION OF FRANCE
CLIMATE
AV HOUSE €
Aquitaine 2,035 €185,000
Midi-Pyrénées 2,031 €160,000
see first class football, rugby,
concerts or visit the theatre.
The Landes département
is famous for its beaches and,
inland, has swathes of pine
forests. There's a different feel
to the Dordogne and it contains
many 'undiscovered' towns and
villages. Similarly, the neighbouring Lot-et-Garonne
has
a totally different landscape
and is sometimes called the
'Tuscany of France'. Both areas
have plenty to offer for people
seeking a decent property with
a bit of land, countryside views
and a pretty town within
striking distance.
MIDI-PYRÉNÉES
The neighbouring region of the
Midi-Pyrénées contains eight
départements. In order of average
house price these are:
• Ariège (€95,000)
• Aveyron (€120,000)
• Lot (€126,000)
• Tarn (€135,000)
• Gers (€140,000)
• Hautes-Pyrénées
(€141,000)
• Tarn-et-Garonne
(€145,000)
• Haute-Garonne (€232,100)
Needless to say, each area has
its own unique culture and
landscape. Here are some of my
favourites:
The Gers offers great value
and a relaxed way of life. This is
a mainly agricultural département
where you will find
people taking huge pleasure
in food and drink. Armagnac
brandy is made locally and foie
gras is an important part of any
market. The landscape is one of
rolling hills with the Pyrénées
mountains to the south.
The Lot, which is to the
north of the region and further
from the mountains, is a
magical and historical département
with a host of interesting
towns to visit such as Cahors,
Figeac and Prayssac. It also has
a number of the 'plus beaux
villages de France' within its
confines. Don't leave without
visiting the famous Rocamadour and St Cirq
Lapopie, both
of which will take your breath
away.
The Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne
border each other, the
former being particularly hilly.
The landscape is beautiful and
varied, offering something for
everyone, and the local produce
is delicious!
AND FINALLY...
Once you have decided on a
budget and a rough area, brief
your agent well. The trick is to
decide what kind of landscape
you want around you, and what
kind of things you will be doing
once you buy your property.
With over 3,000 homes for
sale in Aquitaine and the Midi-Pyrénées
we are sure to have
a property to suit you.
"Rolling countryside, stunning market
towns, historic
châteaux, breathtakingly
beautiful
villages and, above
all, the gentle people and welcoming
smiles wherever
you wander. Crime,
litter, graffiti and
traffic jams are
things that I no
longer consider"
JOHN SHORT
area coordinator
in the Dordogne
jshort@leggett.fr
Beautiful vineyards
near Bordeaux
St Emilion