Spotlight on the Alpilles
Spotlight on the Alpilles
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Spotlight on the Alpilles

Saint-Rémy, Les Baux, Maussane... distill all the charm of Provence.


The renown of the Alpilles has crossed the borders of France, yet this mountainous area only consists of about 42,750 acres. Its villages, Saint-Rémy, Les Baux, Maussane and Eygalières, distill all the charm of Provence.

Situated north-west of the Rhône delta, Les Alpilles extend over 25 km from east to west, marking the junction between the valley of the Rhône and that of the Durance. To the north, one discovers the market gardening plain of Saint-Rémy. The plain of La Crau spreads out to the south. The area is not densely populated and owes its fame to a few typical villages. Several celebrities who are fond of its discretion, such as Caroline of Monaco, Michel Drucker and Charles Aznavour, have helped to build its reputation.

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Set in about 27.5 acres of irrigated meadows 30 mins. from Nîmes and 45 mins. from Marseille and Avignon, this residence dates back to the 18th century. The main “mas” of 800 m2, including 650 m2 fully renovated in 2002, is accompanied by a house for guardians, a guest-house requiring restoration and a pool with overflow effect. 2,250,000 €. Happy Immobilier (04 90 54 24 24).
Set in about 27.5 acres of irrigated meadows 30 mins. from Nîmes and 45 mins. from Marseille and Avignon, this residence dates back to the 18th century. The main “mas” of 800 m2, including 650 m2 fully renovated in 2002, is accompanied by a house for guardians, a guest-house requiring restoration and a pool with overflow effect. 2,250,000 €. Happy Immobilier (04 90 54 24 24).
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700 m from the historic centre of Eygalières, this property proposes living space of 297 m2 (total surface area 454 m2). The guest-rooms, ie. 5 out of 7 units, are sold furnished. The property benefits from an infinity pool and from being in one of the most popular tourist areas in the Alpilles. 1,313,000 €. CEDIF (04 90 92 50 61).
700 m from the historic centre of Eygalières, this property proposes living space of 297 m2 (total surface area 454 m2). The guest-rooms, ie. 5 out of 7 units, are sold furnished. The property benefits from an infinity pool and from being in one of the most popular tourist areas in the Alpilles. 1,313,000 €. CEDIF (04 90 92 50 61).
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This stone “mas” of 330 m2 (four bedrooms) stands in an enclosed and wooded park of 8,000 m2 just a few minutes’ drive from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Of traditional construction, it boasts magnificent paved areas and a billiard room. An alley leads to the garden. 2.4 million €. Cabinet Immobilier Provençal (04 90 24 95 15).
This stone “mas” of 330 m2 (four bedrooms) stands in an enclosed and wooded park of 8,000 m2 just a few minutes’ drive from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Of traditional construction, it boasts magnificent paved areas and a billiard room. An alley leads to the garden. 2.4 million €. Cabinet Immobilier Provençal (04 90 24 95 15).

Patrick Boetti from the Cabinet Immobilier Provençal says that Saint-Rémy is one of the region’s top sites. The town is a hub of creativity : painting, sculpture, stained glass, ceramics, fashion and music provide appealing events on its year-round agenda. Van Gogh liked the town’s intensity, and it pays homage to him with a circuit dedicated to his work. A fondness for old stones gives Saint-Rémy its particular aura. A “mas” of 300 m2 in grounds of 8,000 m2 will cost 2 million €. Starting prices are close on 500,000 € for a basic house of 150 m2. The top end of the market soars to 3 million €. Before September 11th, 2001, the Americans adored Saint-Rémy, a fact which inevitably played its part in rising prices. Just like Avignon’s TGV train station, opened in 2003 : it only takes Parisians 2 hrs 40 to reach their holiday homes. Today, the commune has reached saturation point. Clients fall back on Eyragues, a village with 4,000 residents who live in tune to the rites of the Camargue. Prices here are 20 to 30 % cheaper. At the foot of the Alpilles, Eygalières offers real authenticity. “It’s the most beautiful village in the region,” says Patrick Boetti. “It benefits from an elevated position, sweeping views and architecture with lots of visible stone. It looks across at the mountain of La Caume and the River Durance. And it’s surrounded by lush countryside, olive-groves and vines.” Prices here exceed those of Saint-Rémy, attaining the same level as Les Baux-de-Provence. Which takes its name from “baou”, meaning “rock” in Provençal. Perched on a plateau 245 metres high, it offers an impressive panoramic view and 22 buildings listed as historic monuments. You would have to pay 2.5 million € for a house of 200 m2 in 2.5 acres of land without a view in the plain below the village. As for its historic centre, the number of properties for sale is too sporadic and anecdotal to lead to any meaningful conclusions.

Still as highly-prized even though it doesn’t offer any views, Maussane-les-Alpilles is blessed with fertile land, home to 37,000 olive-trees. 400,000 € will buy a village house ; 500,000 € entitles the purchaser to a villa on an estate, and 500-700,000 € to a small “mas”. Posting prices lower than those in Saint-Rémy, Fontvieille, made famous by Alphonse Daudet and his “Lettres de Mon Moulin”, also has its aficionados.

Maillane, Graveson, Noves-en-Provence and Mollégès post more affordable prices. Isabelle Adam of CEDIF looks upon Mollégès as a village more suited to active locals. 9 km from Cavaillon and 11 km from Saint-Rémy, it proposes a small house of 95 m2 in perfect condition in a garden of 550 m2 with swimming pool for 367,000 €, another one of the same size with a garden of 450 m2 for 280,000 €. The top end of the market can rise to 1,470,000 € and take the form of a stone country house of 300 m2, another of 80 m2 with 90 m2 requiring renovation in grounds of about 12.5 acres ; an ideal proposition for those wanting to run a guest-house. The little bourg of Orgon stands on the plain at the edge of La Durance, on the border between the Alpilles and the Luberon. Its main interest lies in its proximity to Eygalières and Saint-Rémy, and the existence of a handful of magnificent properties. Yannick Bouteloup from Happy Immobilier sheds light on the myth : “There’s still a lot of enthusiasm for renovating a country house acquired at a modest price. But the market has already undergone several waves of restoration, and hardly has any such properties left. The rare ones available are therefore expensive”. An observation that is also based on the rarity of building land. 1,000 m2 sells here for 220,000 €.

“The Alpilles attract three types of clients,” adds Mr Bouteloup, “investors, transferred workers and foreigners”. The first benefit from advantages offered by the Robien Law and focus on new residences, often for students. One can see such developments at Maussane, Mouriès and Saint-Rémy. Renting out is attractive : a 2-roomed flat can be let for 550-600 € per month. The worker who has been transferred to the region is looking for a family home. He has usually already owned a property and can afford a villa costing around 450,000 € or a country house from about 600,000 €. Thanks to Internet, foreigners have very sound knowledge of the local property market. They can’t wait to leave their homes in northern Europe to spend a few days in Provence, a destination they reach via the airport at Marignane (a 45-minute drive). Their buying power is higher than that of other purchasers, and no-one blinks an eyelid when talking about acquisitions costing from 2 to 3 million €. Naturally, they’re looking for a “mas” in perfect condition in an enchanting setting, and like to be near a golf-course. Les Alpilles boast two of them, at Mouriès and Les Baux-de-Provence. Patrick Boetti calculates 30 % holiday homes versus 70 % main residences. “You can live here and work in Arles, Avignon, Marseille or even Paris.” Two factors explain the low proportion of first-time buyers : the high level of prices and the penury of blocks of flats.

According to our estate-agent from Eyragues, prices are stabilizing. Transactions are lively, but clients are quite demanding in terms of a property’s condition. Fans of new residences can explore homes built by Bouygues, Nexity Georges V or Kaufman & Broad. Yannick Bouteloup mentions a development of 12 houses at Maussane : living space of 85 m2 with a garage and garden costs 350,000 €. He specifies that “the middle of the range is doing wonderfully well, whereas the upper category is experiencing a bit of tension, probably due to the classic “wait-and-see” attitude adopted prior to presidential elections”. Isabelle Adam worries about the fate of local workers. At prices above 300,000 €, they find it hard to become owners. “The FNAIM has announced a 5 % drop in 2006. A more even relationship between all the various parameters would allow for greater fluidity.”

Estate-agents fear competition from the Provençal part of La Drôme, the Luberon and Le Gard, all less expensive, but retain their rock-solid faith in their little mountain brimming with sunshine, as authentic as it gets.

By Laetitia Rossi - photos : presse