Learn more about the regions of France


frenchentree.com/ french-property


O


ccitanie, like Provence, is one of those French regions that feels


almost like a country in its own right – as, of course, it was, back in the good old days of wandering troubadours, proud Counts of Toulouse, fervently religious Cathars and equally fanatical Papal crusaders. They left a vast patrimoine


that includes the ghostly shells of Cathar strongholds like Lastours, spectacular churches and abbeys, and of course, the mighty citadel of Carcassonne, the region’s tourism anchor. But enough medieval


history. In 2016, the French government, in a fit of rationalisation, cobbled Occitanie together from the former regions of Midi- Pyrénées and Languedoc- Roussillon, and their component départements of Ariège, Aude, Aveyron, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Hérault, Lot, Lozère, Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Orientales, Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne. “Occitanie has a population


of almost six million and covers an area larger than Ireland,” points out Anna Sirinides, a Carcassonne- based Leggett agent. It’s a counterpane of


landscapes, from the summer- yellow, sun-baked sunflower prairies of the Gers to the sea of vineyards that stretches across Aude and Hérault to the


Red-brick buildings in Toulouse Splendid south


There are reasons aplenty for our enduring love affair with the south of France. Robin Gauldie explores some of Occitanie’s most desirable towns


long, sandy Mediterranean beaches and oyster lagoons of Roussillon. To the south loom the Pyrénées, sometimes hidden in summer haze but snow-capped and startlingly visible on a clear spring day. For skiers, more than 30 resorts and 1,000km of pistes lie around three hours away. To the north, the Massif


Central peters out in the forest-cloaked hills of the Montagne Noire. Through it all runs the Canal du Midi, surely the greatest engineering work of the 17th century and progenitor of a French penchant for grands projets that is still going strong, from the TGV routes that now connect Occitanie’s main cities with Paris to the awesome Viaduc de Millau that sweeps you across the awesome Tarn gorges as you drive south on the A75. Ease of access is one


Pézenas is full of pretty streets


Occitanie’s many selling points: the autoroute takes you almost all the way to Toulouse


or Montpellier from the Channel ports. There are good TGV connections from Paris to all of the region’s major cities, and you have a pick of five regional airports (plus two more just across the Spanish border for those looking to buy in the southeast).


LA VILLE ROSE Toulouse is France’s fourth largest city and Occitanie’s administrative capital, with a population of around 500,000. It’s the home of Airbus and of France’s space programme, while a large student body – it has more than a dozen universities – gives it a youthful buzz. With its mild climate, ideal geographical location and role as a regional economic and academic powerhouse, ‘La Ville Rose’ is a sought-after location for buyers, says Anna Sirinides. “In the past 10 years, prices


of property in Toulouse have increased by more than 55%. Average price per square


metre is around €3,978. There is much more demand than supply, so it is a seller’s market. If you want a property in Toulouse, you need to move quickly once you find it.” The city’s property market


ranges from typical single- storey houses known as ‘petites Toulousaines’ to larger detached houses with private gardens, according to Matthieu Cany, director of Sextant Properties. Most homes in Toulouse


itself, however, are apartments, with prices starting from around £250,000 for a two-bedroom property to more than £400,000 for a four- bedroom flat, Matthieu says. According to the latest


report by Leggett International Real Estate, house prices in Occitanie have increased by 4.6% in the past year, with demand at record levels and new stock hard to come by. But Leggett thinks tighter lending criteria will dampen demand and increase supply.


FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: November/December 202339


LOCATION


4


© SHUTTERSTOCK


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148