The charm of a hill-top village
The Alpes-Maritimes and the Var are home to authentic little villages many centuries old. They survey the Mediterranean and symbolize the art of living in Provence. While some provide accommodation for local people, others offer exclusive addresses.
The one and only Saint-Paul
A 15-minute drive from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, this historic village is centrally located between Nice, Cannes and Monaco. Claudine Muller and Sébastien Verdoucq of the Burns Agency fill in the details...
Ultra-residential, Saint-Paul stretches over lush green hills, dominated by a village that is a huge favourite with artists. The Maeght Foundation and “Colombe d’Or” have helped build its reputation both locally and internationally. Views embrace the coast from Cap Ferrat to the Lérins Islands, from the hills to the Estérel. The area is calm, access is easy year round. Drastic bylaws have protected this area from rampant urbanisation down on the coast, a fact much appreciated by investors. Provence-style architecture reigns supreme. A distinction should be made between the village itself with houses steeped in history (apartments start at 250,000 € and rise to over 1 million, bringing vast living space with garden, terrace and garage) ; the immediate surroundings, with houses between 1.4 and 4 million € ; and the outlying areas. Some of the latter were popular with old French families : Les Fumerates, 900,000 to 3 million €, La Souquée, 800,000 to 1.5 million €, and Le Malvan, 700,000 to 1.5 million €. Others have sprung up on the hills, the Route des Serres, La Cairée and the Chemin de l’Avencq, between 2.5 and 10 million €. Then, on the renowned estate “Les Hauts de Saint-Paul”, prices range from 1.5 to over 10 million €. About 60 % of properties in Saint-Paul are secondary residences. The shortage of land has driven the minimum cost of a more or less flat plot of land with sea view up to 1 million €. Invaded by the British, Danes, Luxemburgers and the Irish, this exquisitely discreet area is also popular with East Europeans and Americans, now making something of a come-back.
Eze, a magnificient rocky spur
A real balcony overhanging the Mediterranean, Eze is 429 m above sea-level, an unexpected landscape just 5 minutes from Monaco. Guided tour by Patrick Angué of Sud Azur…
“Eze is both a dense and sprawling commune,” says the manager of this agency. “Tourism has given the medieval village something akin to star status with the prestigious Chèvre d’Or and Château Eza, and botanical gardens. The stone houses, reached on foot, offer fabulous views. Only rarely up for sale, they range from 30 to 150 m2 (250,000 to 800,000 €). For example, 80 m2 with a terrace, small garden and sea view will cost about 650,000 €. Clients are mainly local. Around the village, once a favourite with Frederick Nietzsche, residential areas include the part of Eze down by the sea. Although just below Eze-Village, there is no direct link, requiring 20-minute drive from the village. About 70 % of residents come from abroad - Italians, British, Irish and Russians of late. The two apartment "at the water's edge" buildings on the seafront post prices of 10,000 € per square metre. Villas, from 800,000 to 1.5 M € on average, are set on small plots of land, unlike villas in Saint-Laurent d’Eze, currently in a transition phase. It combines high-class properties with a more rural area. That leaves the Col d’Eze and the Grande Corniche. Here, beautiful residences, 500 to 600 m above sea level, stand alongside more modest dwellings. We have recently seen a slowdown in prices, except for up-market properties (over 2 M €) where demand is as high as ever.
Roquebrune-sur-Argens, the proximity factor...
Characterized by a superb rock which dominates the plain of Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël, this is a multi-facetted village. Peter Vandenbriele of the Agence du Rocher leads our tour…
In Roquebrune-sur-Argens there are three different areas : Les Issambres, the seafront area and its two yacht marinas, lying opposite the peninsula of Saint-Tropez. Living space of 150 m2 facing the sea will cost 900,000 €. The sector is most attractive for foreign visitors looking for holiday homes. Right in the centre is the age-old village, whose houses offer inimitable cachet with price-tags of around 350,000 to 450,000 €. They are shared by locals and North Europeans, particularly receptive to the charm of old-style architecture. The only fly in the ointment is the shortage of houses for sale. La Bouverie is more a spot for local folk with detached houses covering 95 % of its territory. Prices here range from 350,000 to 600,000 €. Fans of estates are also keen on this commune, as homes offer average living space of 200 m2 when their grounds go beyond 2.5 acres. Reckon on paying between 1 and 1.2 million €. One of the great assets of this village in the Var is its closeness to the large towns of Fréjus, Saint-Raphaël and even Cannes, a 20-minute drive down the A8 motorway. Not to mention extensive infrastructures, plus the shops in Puget-sur-Argens, just 5 minutes away. The Alpes-Maritimes, where prices are higher, also provide an excellent source of population. The real estate market is buoyant in the bottom range and top-notch sectors. In the 450,000 to 600,000 € bracket, however, supply outstrips demand... whence a certain slow-down in the market.
Grimaud, a quality life-style
In the Var, scenery changes and ambiances too, within just a few dozen kilometres. Close to the Saint-Tropez peninsula, Grimaud has the prestige of a medieval village. Further details from Hugo Skillington of the agency of the same name.
Just 5 km from the sea - or rather the famous lagoon resort of Port-Grimaud - and 10 km from Saint-Tropez, Grimaud enjoys an elevated position, a more temperate climate than on the coast, and tranquillity in stark contrast to its festive neighbour. Houses here reach the market in dribs and drabs, even changing hands with no need for an estate-agent. Prices per sq. metre (5,000 to 8,000 €) depend on condition, versus 10,000 € for villas on the outskirts. Living space of 250 m2, grounds of 4,000 m2 and a sea view will cost, for example, around 2.5 million €. The same property would be 25 % cheaper with no sea view. The market, thriving since the late 1990s, is levelling out judging by prices over the last 18 months, except for up-scale or seafront properties which continue to rise. “35 years ago, I did 10 % of my business with foreigners, today it’s 70 %,” says Hugo Skillington. “In their early 40s, they hail from Northern Europe and benefit from low-cost flights and excellent transport facilities in the area. A factor that limits competition from Spain and Italy, especially Tuscany.”
Interview by Laetitia Rossi.
