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“The market in France used to be led by buyers, but now it is much more of a seller’s market”


€300,000. “They are not easy to find because the market has really grown in the past two years,” says Christine Juan, Associate Director of L’Esprit du Sud estate agency, which is based in Rabastens. Renovation projects or


homes in the €250,000– €360,000 price range can be found in more rural locations or less well-connected bastide towns such as pretty Cordes- sur-Ciel and Puycelsi.


GAILLAC One of the best views that encapsulates this area of Occitanie is from the ancient stone bridge over the Tarn river, looking back into historic Gaillac. From here, you can see the old town in all its mottled stone glory, the higgledy- piggledy terracotta roofs, as well as the grand Abbaye St- Michel, which hugs the banks of the river. Part of the abbey, as befitting


Tarn’s long history of wine production, is now a wine museum and tasting centre, La Maison des Vins de Gaillac. Some of the oldest vines in France have been grown in


Rabastens is a quaint medieval town with ramparts that was fortified against the rebellious Cathars


this area and Gaillac was first known for producing wine almost 2,000 years ago. “Generally, homes in Gaillac


cost less than in Rabastens,” says Christine. “It is larger with plenty of amenities and although it is closer to Albi, it is further from Toulouse.” Gaillac is the perfect place


for food and wine lovers. There is a good range of quality restaurants (Vigne en Foule is particularly popular), a cinema and a regular weekly market. The lycée school in Gaillac


is also well regarded. In the summer there are evening concerts, markets and wine- tastings dotted throughout the town. The tourist office can arrange visits and tastings at local vineyards and it is possible to hire bicycles and cycle La Route touristique des vins de Gaillac, through the vineyards and villages surrounding the town. TYPICAL HOMES: White-


stone maisons vigneronnes with garden and pool can be bought from about €450,000.


RABASTENS This quaint medieval town is rather like a (very) small Albi, in that it is dominated by impressive red-brick architecture and a stunning church, Notre-Dame-du-Bourg, which echoes the red-brick grandeur of Albi’s Ste-Cecile cathedral built with fortress- like strength against the rebellious Cathars. The town centre is small and


packed with a decent range of cafés, restaurants, useful shops and a Carrefour – which, unlike


FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 202341 4


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