Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux : a haven of tranquillity

A Mediterranean climate with milder winters than elsewhere in La Drôme, an outstanding natural, historic and architectural heritage, and renowned local gastronomy : this is the quality life-style, highly-prized by retirees, offered by Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. Though this rural commune with good départemental roads and the A7 motorway also benefits from the economic activities of Le Tricastin. It thus also draws the actively employed.

The historic capital of Le Tricastin, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux has a colourful past. As witnessed by its large medieval cathedral dating back to the 12th century, listed as an Historic Monument, its Roman remparts, stately mansions built from the 15th to 19th cent­uries, and its Museum of Celto-Ligurian archeology from Gaul Narbonnaise (Tricastine culture). Other enticing leg­acies include the AOC wines of Grignan-les-Adhémar and the black truffles of Le Tricastin, partly produced on the commune. All these assets are joined by pleasant temperatures all year round, the peacefulness of the countryside, and the many sports and leisure activities on offer (hiking, mountain biking, horse-riding, fishing, canoing-kayaking...). Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux is home to over 8,500 residents who benefit from Le Tricastin’s flourishing economy. This historic region in fact plays host to France’s largest nuclear plant, employing over 5,000 people.

“Living in Saint-Paul allows one to benefit from both a pleasant, quiet setting and the opportunities offered by industrial activities close by. Thanks to the very good road network, the nuclear plant of Le Tricastin is just 10 minutes away, as is Bollène,” explains Jean-Fabrice Bonnardel, dir­ector of the Province Immobilier agencies, including that of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux which has been active for almost 40 years. A senior employee aged from 35 to 55 is thus the typical buyer, looking for a main residence (90 % of the housing on the commune, according to the INSEE) with 3 or 4 bedrooms, costing from 300,000 to 400,000 €. “Large properties priced from 500,000 to 800,000 € are, however, also in demand,” adds our estate-agent. Apartments in Le Tricastin range from 60,000 to 200,000 €. And what about the crisis ? “We haven’t necessarily seen a scarcity of buyers, but rather a disparity between their budgets and the prices demanded by sellers. It is, in fact, hard to make owners understand that they need to lower their expectations by 15 to 20 % as compared with 2006.”

In terms of infrastructures, this little commune is well-equipped : a nursery, primary and intermediate schools, a private agricultural college (the closest secondary school is in Pierrelatte, 15 minutes away), a municipal crèche, cinema, mediatheque, swimming pool and a commercial zone (currently under construction). Only a hospital is lacking (the nearest is in Bollène). An additional argument for both the working population and retirees, the other large component of the clientele for homes in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. “These seniors with budgets ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 € leave their original regions to settle in the South,” say Joëlle and Emilie Kaczmareck, who run the Agence Kaczmareck. A few foreigners are also drawn to this privileged setting : Belgians, Swiss and Dutch, though “90 % of the buyers are French”. These two estate-agents emphasize a “highly varied clientele”. Their last three sales confirm the point : a recent 3-bedroomed villa with a garden of 800 m2 which sold for 330,000 €, a 4-bedroomed apartment of 120 m2 priced at 220,000 €, and a small town house

at 135,000 €.