Provence is one of the most popular places to buy a property for foreign buyers and with good reason: all year-round sunshine, medieval villages, stunning scenery, and great local food all make for a quintessential French experience.
The region has been an inspiration to artists over the years, thanks to its sharp blue skies, its magnificent countryside, the stone hilltop villages, and relaxed lifestyle. It’s a place where one can’t help but want to slow down and enjoy life to the fullest.
The exact area of what can be described strictly speaking as Provence is hard to define but would include inland areas of the Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur region. Generally speaking, one could consider it starts in The North of the region near Avignon in The Vaucluse, reaching out to the beautiful town of Uzes in The Gard to The West, across to Forcalquier in the Alpes de Haute Provence to The East.
Further South the departments of The Var, including towns such as Draguignan (where George Clooney has recently bought a vineyard incidentally) and the area of The Verdon with its lakes, are classed as Provence before we get down onto The Cote d’Azur on The Mediterranean Sea.
Probably the most famous and sought-after parts of Provence are The Luberon and The Alpilles, home to some of the most beautiful towns and villages.
The Luberon has many exceptional medieval villages such as Gordes, Roussillon, Menerbes (made famous by Peter Mayle’s book “A year in Provence” and Bonnieux to the North and Lourmarin in The South, more towards Aix en Provence.
The town of L’Isle sur la Sorgue is also a great location and famous for its antiques markets, between The Luberon mountains and Avignon.
The Alpilles (located in the Bouches du Rhone department) most well-known town is Saint Remy de Provence, a beautiful and lively place filled with great restaurants and boutiques.
Eygalieres is one of the most charming villages and highly sought after with demand for property outweighing supply.
The two largest towns are Avignon in The Vaucluse and Aix en Provence in the Bouches du Rhone.
Aix en Provence is especially prized by expat buyers wishing to settle and work locally, thanks to its exceptional historic centre, pretty countryside and choice of international schools. Easy access to the Marseille Airport make this a great choice for people wishing to buy in Aix en Provence.
Although there is a range of choice in terms of architectural style, the most popular at the lower end of the budget are traditional townhouses (a rare find is one with a garden and views!), while Provencal farmhouses and up market mansions dominate the demand for property to purchase in Provence at the upper end of the market.
Cities like Aix en Provence will also have a selection of top end modern villas for sale.
And it goes without saying that if you have a garden, then a swimming pool is an absolute must in this hot and sunny region of France.
