LOCATION
curistes arriving for treatment will often book in at La Bastide- Puylaurent, explains Aureline. If you’re thinking of starting an accommodation-based business, La Bastide takes some beating. To the west, north of the
Montagne du Goulet, lies the small village of Chasseradès, primarily a second-home destination. Like La Bastide- Puylaurent, terraced stone houses have lauze roof tiles and prices are similar. They’re often narrow and high with three floors including the attic. Aureline says the last property requiring renovation sold for around €10,000 – “But everything needed doing!” Le Bleymard, south of the
Goulet peak, is on a different road network and has easier access to prefecture Mende. In the centre you can buy tall stone terraced houses requiring little work for €70,000- €90,000. If you’d prefer a renovation project, expect to pay around €50,000. Le Bleymard has expanded
over the decades and you’ll find a choice of more recent property (€200,000-€250,000) on the outskirts. The proximity of Mende,
30 minutes away, makes Le Bleymard an attractive destination for main homes – you’re close to the city yet living in a country village. Le Bleymard borders the 3,000km2 Cévennes National Park. Settle here and in winter you’ll head with skis or snow shoes for the Mont Lozère ski resort. There are summer nautical
activities on the Lac de Villefort to the east and on the Naussac Lake at Langogne to the north in the Margeride. “Each season has its activities so we have a different quality of life from the town,” says Aureline.
ST-GILLES In the Gard department, between the Camargue and Costières, St-Gilles was once just a port, says Marseille-born Bernadette Florance of MG Immobilier. The 7th-century miracle-performing hermit monk took refuge here with a doe he had tamed, today the town’s symbol. The old town spreads out around the 12th-century
says Bernadette. She tells me that a big advantage of living here is the “Marseillais aspect” – people communicate easily – “that’s a plus for me.” Then there’s the sun, of course, and the fun Camargue festival side, she adds. The annual Peach and Apricot Feria is in August; your rice is from the Camargue; local wine is the very drinkable Costières-de-Nîmes. Both mountains and Mediterranean are close by. “I get in my car and in an hour I’m in the Cévennes, in 20 minutes I’m by the sea,” says Bernadette. With or without a donkey, do
St-Gilles has an old town, a Unesco-listed abbey and a port
St-Gilles abbatial church, a Unesco World Heritage site. You’ll find medieval houses and also fine 17th/18th-century private mansions (hôtels particuliers). “We have a very important historic patrimony,” Bernadette tells me. Les amateurs de vieilles
pierres (lovers of old stone) are spoiled for choice. Bernadette is currently marketing a stone property – “three steps here, two steps there, tiny interior courtyard with small terrace, quite atypical” – near the cathedral. “The roads are small; close your eyes and you still see people in medieval dress,” she says. A client has just bought a terraced property for complete renovation next to the 13th- century Maison Romane, with an interior spiral staircase, timber ceilings and terracotta tuiles romanes on the roof. He paid €90,000 and will need to spend at least another €80,000 on it, she explains. Property prices are not high in the old town because Bâtiments
On the market
de France conservation requirements can substantially increase renovation costs. The mairie (town hall) can grant subsidies towards the renovation of old town properties. Buy in the old town, park your car in the large free central car park and you only have a short walk to your new home. Some houses have been
converted into apartments. If you’re looking for a pied-à- terre, Bernadette is selling a 70m2
take time to check out property along Stevenson’s trail and the Régordane Way. You’d be an ass not to. ■
chemin-stevenson.org lepuyenvelay-tourisme.fr cevennes-parcnational.fr saint-gilles.fr parc-camargue.fr
TO BUY HERE ground floor apartment
with vaulted interior and small external space for €87,000. If you’re expecting visits from friends and family – and I think you will be because Nîmes, Montpellier and Marseille airports are nearby – prices for a four-bedroom house don’t generally exceed €200,000. There’s good seasonal letting potential too. The tradition taurine still
flourishes in these parts. When they release the bulls and they hurtle through the streets of St- Gilles, “c’est impressionnant,”
and Gard – each with its own distinctive appeal
architecture, Camargue traditions
modern in bustling historic towns, vibrant villages and tranquil hamlets – plus plenty of exciting renovation projects
FIND MORE PROPERTIES ON
FRENCHENTREE.COM Properties ancient and
Cévenol mountains and valleys, Romanesque
Volcanic landscapes,
Three departments - Haute-Loire, Lozère
3 REASONS
€650,000, St-Gilles: In a bucolic location, a renovated four-bed property with garage, basement utility room and cellar, two-bed guest house, pool and large grounds(MG Immobilier)
50 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2025
€364,000,Cussac-sur-Loire: Ten minutes from Le Puy, villa with three bedrooms, two mezzanine bedrooms, atelier and garage in landscaped grounds (A2b Immobilier)
€480,000, Le Puy-en-Velay: In a popular quarter, with view over Le Puy, five-bedroom villa with tree-lined garden, garage for two vehicles and utility room (A2b Immobilier)
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