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Your property in Provence
Homebuyers looking for property in Provence seek authenticity and rustic charm.
The region offers sedate living with property options ranging from cosy houses in the centre of historic villages, to larger houses on the outskirts with contained hobby vineyards, gardens and pools, through to large landed traditional ‘bastide’ manor houses.
Inside Provence
Authentic French living amid picturesque countryside is embodied in the heart of Provence.
Unadulterated rolling hills, vineyards and lavender fields are interspersed across the region, while more rugged rural escapism is available in both Luberon and Alpilles regional parks.
For those seeking a less tranquil lifestyle, the region’s buzzing cities, such as Avignon and Aix-en-Provence, are brimming with historic architecture, museums, galleries and markets, and offer upmarket living in memorable surroundings.
Landscape
Provence is bursting with national and regional parks that provide exquisite scenery for the numerous medieval villages perched on steep hillsides.
Popular locations in Alpilles regional park include Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Eygalières, and Maussane-les-Alpilles, while in Luberon regional park, Gordes, Ménerbes and Bonnieux attract domestic and expat property buyers alike.
More gentle hills accommodate the region’s iconic lavender fields in the rural surroundings of towns and villages throughout Provence.
Education
The region benefits from a host of popular international schools, with excellent institutions in Aix-en-Provence.
The main further education institution is Aix-Marseille University, which ranks in the top 10 universities in the country. It traces its roots back to 1409 and offers roughly 600 courses across a multitude of disciplines.
Activities and Entertainment
The historic and modern are fused together in some of Provence’s main urban centres like Aix-en-Provence and Avignon, as plentiful centuries-old architectural sites and leafy squares neighbour modern-tinged boulevards with cafés, bistros and shopping boutiques.
The region is awash with smaller, medieval villages such as Uzès, Vaison-la-Romaine in the Drôme Provençale, and Lourmarin in South Luberon, which have picturesque surroundings, as well as enticing towns such as L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, renowned for its antique stores and markets.
Beyond the towns and cities, the region is perfect for exploring sprawling lavender fields, touring olive groves and vineyards, and indulging in the fresh air and rural beauty of Provence’s enticing natural parks.
Art and Culture
Culture oozes from Provence, ranging from the Collection Lambert in Avignon, a trove of contemporary art works, to the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence.
Café culture is rich along the boulevards and squares of the region’s towns, bursting with bistros and bars, while hilltop towns and villages possess eye-catching historic buildings down cobbled streets, and often play host to a wide variety of festivals and concerts.
Food and Drink
Provence is a gastronomic pioneer, with national dishes such as bouillabaisse, a fish stew originating from Marseille, and the region being the world’s truffle capital.
In the hills, classic dishes dominate, with hearty ratatouilles, soups, gratins and pissaladière tarts gracing menus alongside bold roasted meat dishes.
As a wine region, Provence excels with Châteauneuf-du-Pape producing its world-renowned namesake, Grenache-based red wines, while the Luberon and the Rhône wine trail offer up premium wines including Crozes-Hermitage, Condrieu and Côte Rôtie.
Accessibility
South-eastern France has outstanding air and rail links making it easy to get to Provence.
By air, major airports in Marseille and Nice are connected directly to hundreds of destinations worldwide, while the smaller Avignon-Caumont international airport serves short-haul destinations.
The fastest high-speed train can reach Paris from Marseille in little more than 3 hours, while the capital can be reached from Avignon in just over 2 hours 30 minutes on the quickest, direct trains. Provence is also easily traversed by train, with roughly 14 trains per day between Marseille and Nice, with journey times usually less than three hours.