LOCATION
The village does not have any shops or restaurants, but is only a five-minute drive from Rabastens. Modern three- bedroom bungalows with a small garden on the outskirts of Rabastens start at €300,000.
Rabastens’ striking red-brick cathedral Notre-Dame-du-Bourg
most supermarkets, handily opens on a Sunday. There are some good restaurants (although not as many as in Gaillac) as well as a cinema and a large and very popular market every Saturday, where it is possible to buy everything from goat’s cheese to horse meat to summer clothes. One of the nicest things you can do is queue and listen, if your French is good enough, to the shoppers discuss the various merits of the different types of strawberries or chicken. It’s an education in itself! Wine lovers will enjoy a
visit to Vinovalie – Cave de Rabastens, a selective wine merchant’s where it is possible to taste and buy some of the high-quality wines produced in the area. You can also pick up the vins de Gaillac cycle route from here; the roads are flat, quiet and make for very pleasant cycling. The old quarter is made
up of a few small lanes – with medieval cottages, an ancient school and the town hall – which lead down to the ramparts and old mill by the river. The Tarn really comes into its own here as there are lovely bankside walks and even a small ‘beach’ area where it is possible to safely swim. In the summer it becomes very busy. The small hamlet of
Coufouleux, on the outskirts, is home to the train station and is about a 10-minute walk from the centre, but surrounded by rolling fields and a wonderful array of wildlife (birds that visit the Tarn include exotic hoopoes and eagles). TYPICAL HOMES: Rabastens’ townhouses start from about
€300,000 and are either medieval or Renaissance red brick, with small courtyards (very few have gardens). A three-bedroom farmhouse in a nearby village (about 5km away), such as Loupiac, with a large garden and a pool would start from about €350,000.
LISLE-SUR-TARN If Hansel and Gretel were to choose a place in which to live, they might well select the timber-framed, wattle-and- daub delight that is Lisle-sur- Tarn. All old beams, pink and ochre walls and patchwork roofs, this stunning medieval town was built in a grid system by Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, in the 13th century – and has barely changed since. The central market, Place Paul Saissac, is surrounded by a square of elegant arched colonnades that indicate how prosperous Lisle was, due to its production of pastels and wine.
One of the nicest things to do
here is to order a croissant and a noisette, or small coffee with milk, at one of the cafés on the square and simply watch the world go by. There is a small grocery store, a popular bakery, a delightful Sunday market and, on the edge of the town, a large lake where it is possible to walk, camp and fish. Few houses in Lisle
have gardens, although its commuting links to Toulouse means it is always in demand and prices hold their value. Most British buyers prefer to buy on the outskirts where they can get a home with land. TYPICAL HOMES: A grand maison de maître with seven bedrooms, small garden and a pool in the centre, is roughly €80,000. A modern six- bedroom home with a third-of- an-acre garden on the outskirts starts from about €375,000. ■
Lisle-sur-Tarn is a
stunning medieval town built in a grid system
On the market
FIND MORE PROPERTIES ON
FRANCEPROPERTYSHOP.COM
€329,000Gaillac Charming character three- bedroom village house, ideally located near Gaillacl it has been tastefully renovated, while retaining its period features (
frenchestateagents.com)
42 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2023
€990,000Rabastens Superb country retreat sitting in over five acres of land with magnificent countryside views; it has eight bedrooms and has recently been updated (
beauxvillages.co.uk)
€478,000Gaillac Located near the Gaillac vineyards, this seven-bedroom property has two cottages, guest rooms, outbuildings and plenty of scope as a business (
frenchestateagents.com)
© SHUTTERSTOCK
© SHUTTERSTOCK
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