LOCATION
“We’re not remote but we’re in the mountains and we have nature and zénitude”
€150,000-€200,000. One of the latest apartments on his books, requiring complete renovation, is priced at €100,000, “but it’s negotiable around €80,000”. Leave the town and you come
This area is a great place to take the family cross-country skiing – ski de fond
to lovely villas, often cycling distance from the centre. You can buy an attractive one with some land for €500,000 or so. “In the Diois countryside, you’ll find village houses and villas at slightly lower prices than in Die,” says Ludovic.
Cycling is popular too – you can cycle into the centre of Die or explore further
Paris. “We’re 50 minutes from the Valence TGV, which helps enormously,” she says. What are the plus points of
the southern Vercors plateau? “We’re surrounded by nature, we don’t have all the problems you have in towns,” she says, “and yet we’re not remote. We’re in the mountains and we have nature and zénitude. In summer we have all the hiking, running and mountain biking activities then in winter skiing, and we’re close to the larger resort of Villard-de-Lans. “We have everything we want. I’ve lived here for over
On the market
25 years, I wouldn’t leave for anything,” she says. The small dynamic town of
Die lies at the gateway to the Drôme Provençale at the foot of the Vercors regional park in the Diois countryside of lavender fields and vineyards. Ludovic Benini at Diois Immobilier tells me that in the small historic centre you can find old stone terraced houses, some converted into apartments. Expect to pay €220,000-€260,000 for a town house with terrace. Depending on size, a property requiring renovation may sell for about
TOP SPOTS Popular villages worth a look include Marignac-en-Diois and Ponet-et-St-Auban west of Die, and Châtillon-en-Diois (a Plus Beaux Village de France), to the southeast. There’s a great restoration project here – a three-storey 11-room village house, with renovated ground-floor apartment, barn with loft, two cellars… think chambres d’hôtes, family home, apartments (€198,000, Olivier Romanet Expertimo). The advantages of Die and
the Diois are “nature, ecology, hikes, the sun”, says Annelise. The Col de Rousset allows young and old to benefit from the joys of la glisse, skiing down 26 runs for all levels, plus other snowy activities. And everyone can enjoy the spectacular views of the Diois valley and the Vercors offered by the panoramic chairlift. Don’t forget, the Loi Montagne obliges private vehicles to be
equipped with approved snow tyres or chains from 1 November to 31 March. I’m writing these lines
sipping a glass of cool, naturally pétillant Clairette de Die Tradition. When you’ve found your ideal property, you’ll need some in the fridge to celebrate your purchase. In the vineyards, you’ll recognise the tight bunches of small white muscat grapes used to make it, balanced with clairette blanche to reduce the sweet muscat taste and add finesse. Today there are three
other appellations: sparkling Crémant de Die, still Coteaux de Die, and red, white and rosé Châtillon-en-Diois. Sit down to some Diois lamb or maybe a River Archiane trout; with some raw goat’s milk Picodon, a mild Vercors-Sassenage blue made from the milk of three mountain cattle breeds on your cheeseboard; along with a few Grenoble walnuts. ■
vercors-drome.com
diois-tourisme.com
lesstationsdeladrome.fr parc-du-vercors.fr
The Fête de la transhumance in June FIND MORE PROPERTIES ON
FRENCHENTREE.COM
€540,000, St-Agnan-en- Vercors: Renovated former farmstead with three bedrooms, terrace and garden, plus one- bedroom apartment with south- facing terrace (Vercors Sud Immo)
€320,000, St-Martin-en- Vercors: ‘Maison de maître’ with ceiling mouldings, vintage tiling and parquet flooring, attic for conversion, barn and garden with stream (Vercors Sud Immo)
70 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: November/December 2023
€430,000, La Chapelle-en- Vercors: Located close to the village centre, this four-bedroom property has mountain views, terrace, balcony, garden, garage and basement (Vercors Sud Immo)
€265,000, La-Chapelle-en- Vercors: Handy for amenities, this four-bedroom, three-storey village house with small garden is currently let with a monthly rent of €700 (Vercors Sud Immo)
© L. PASCALE / DRÔME ATTRACTIVITÉ
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