Country & rural property: france
Renowned for its fine wines, good gastronomy and liberating revolutions, France is one of the most popular property investment areas in the world, especially when it comes to quaint, remote, rural retreats. We look at some of the regions that offer rustic charms and ponder the question, why is the French countryside so splendid?
Rural Lifestyle
Living off the fat of the land and relaxing in the shade with a glass of red wine as the sun beats down, illuminating the backdrop of green fields and rolling hills. This is the image of rural France and one that's not a million miles from the truth.
With a vast amount of agricultural land and wine growing areas, countryside living in France tends to be largely self-sufficient. Plenty of local produce is grown and sold and many of the locals seem to survive by buying and selling to each other. This seems easier to do in the small remote towns and villages, where community spirit still seems to exist in abundance.
However, governmental services such as police, schools, fire stations and libraries can be somewhat limited in scope, or absent altogether in some of the more secluded areas.
Public transport is also usually restricted or missing and many people use their own vehicles. If this is impractical, they may walk or use the assistance of an animal such as a horse when riding a cart.
Food & drink
Food and drink is a popular pastime all over France, but especially in the countryside where the lifestyle is a pace slower and the mentality more relaxed.
The fat of the agricultural land serves plenty of fruit and vegetables, and the livestock produces a wide selection of meat and cheeses.
Fish, especially sardines, lamb, goat and duck are all favoured flavours of rural France. Duck is very fashionable and used liberally, with foie Gras and confit de canard (duck simmered then preserved in its own fat), particularly popular.
Truffles - known as the "Black Diamond" - are sold in most traditional open-air markets and are an extravagant but widely used delicacy.
With olive groves and vineyards in abundance, it is no surprise that olive oil, olives and plenty of wine are on the menu in most homes.
Cahors is one of the oldest wine-growing areas in France and produces enough red wine to rival Bordeaux. Chilled white wine is very popular when the hot dry summers descend, with the fuller, heavier red being preferred when the air is lighter and the heat has dissipated.
Pace of Life
While the French countryside offers a sense of serenity and of stepping back in time, there is evidence of much modernization.
The once-neglected roads are being improved on a regular basis, while cozy cafés and mini markets are popping up all over the place.
Also on the increase are state subsidies for houses and villages, to protect the rural heritage and attract a regular influx of visitors.
Rural Traditions
Small towns and villages retain a civic life which seems to cultivate rural values - both good and bad - with a sense of a close community spirit tangible, but also a climate of suspicion and distrust towards outsiders that stumble upon their green and pleasant land.
Top Regions for Rural Property
Provence
The warm, dry Mediterranean climate shapes the cuisine of Provence, with an abundance of seafood from the Coast and the regions rugged landscape making it an ideal place for the grazing of goats and sheep.
For those that like the quieter life of a remote setting, Provence has numerous rural villages and towns all offering something different. The Var area is covered with vineyards, olive groves and lavender fields and is France's largest grower of cut flowers.
Vaucluse has miles of jagged mountains to the east and cultivates vast quantities of fruit and vegetables in its very fertile plains.
Luberon is composed of three mountain ranges and has gentle valleys sprinkled with orchards and wooded hills of oak and pine, while the surrounding villages are formed by rusty stained stone and steeped in colourful history.
Cheap rural property prices seem to be a thing of the past in the Provence countryside, but it is still possible to buy 2 to 3 bed houses in the villages of Var or Vaucluse for between €250,000 and €350,000.
Normandy
Situated along the Coast of France, south of the English Channel, between Brittany and Picardy, the territory of Normandy is divided between French and British sovereignty.
Within the rural area are vast amounts of agriculturally rich countryside with crops and apple orchards, as well as lush forests.
The region is renowned for its delightful cuisine, which specializes in seafood, duck and cream, as well as the famous Camembert cheeses.
The area of Calvados is dominated by agriculture and known for producing butter, cheese, cider and the apple based spirit that shares its name, Calvados (Spirit).
Well-served by sea, road and rail connections, Normandy's easy access from the UK makes it a favourite with British buyers.
There's an abundance of farm buildings and barns, land and lakes for sale in the rural areas of Normandy featuring a wide range of property styles - timber-framed barns, town houses and châteaux are all available.
House prices in Normandy are much more competitive compared to other areas of France. An outlay of around €45,000 will buy you a quaint cottage in Calvados, in need of renovation, while a budget in the region of €150,000 will get you a large, stone-built longère with land and possibly some outbuildings in Manche.
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