The Sainte-Victoire mountain

Looming east of Aix-en-Provence, the Sainte-Victoire mountain is internationally renowned thanks to the sixty or so paintings by Paul Cézanne of which it is the subject. A major attraction in the region around Aix, this mountain range 18 km long and 5 km wide spreads over communes such as Le Tholonet and Châteauneuf-le-Rouge.

14 km from Aix-en-Provence, Châteauneuf-le-Rouge is home to 2,200 residents. A commune bearing the “Côtes-de-Provence Sainte Victoire” designation, it offers authentic charm. Florence Leze, manageress of the At Home agency, based since 2012 on the village square, has witnessed a visible up-turn in activity on all the communes within a 20-km perimeter around Aix. “We have been receiving more and more enquiries from a heterogeneous clientele consisting of executives transferred to the area, often from the Parisian region, local employees, pre-retirees looking for the ideal home in which to live in the South and entertain their families, and foreign buyers, mainly from the UK and North Europeans. These last clients focus their searches on areas close to the international schools in Luynes (IBS) and the Sainte Victoire Golf-course in Fuveau,” says our expert, whose agency proposes good-quality properties aimed at buyers with budgets starting from around 600,000 €. Even though rising demand is confronted by scarce supply, prices have not yet started to soar. “The curve is timidly beginning to rise, by 1 to 2 %, depending on specific addresses. Even so, not everything sells easily. Buyers are now looking for properties which do not require renovation.” On average, it takes about three months to sell a soundly-built home in a good location, on offer at market price. “Châteauneuf is very popular. With its schools, shops and cultural events, the commune has put the accent on quality living conditions for its residents. Furthermore, the many roads to Aix and Marseille allow for a relatively smooth flow of traffic, even in the rush hours. This is a very persuasive argument, especially for Parisians !”

Lying at the gateway to Aix-en-Provence, at the foot of the Sainte-Victoire mountain, Le Tholonet is a town with a population of 2,500. Crossed by the N7 and A8 motorway, this historic commune with lots of charm is on the edge of the Route de Cézanne, the only listed road in France ! An expert in high-end, charming and prestige properties, Annick Heuzé created the Immobilière du Tholonet 18 years ago, convinced of the unique potential of this area offering sublime panoramic views of nature and buildings of very high quality. “The transactions I have handled these past few months mainly involved second residences. Mostly French, the buyers literally fall for the charm of these landscapes. You can also find in this privileged area not only old “mas” of authentic charm, but also others in contemporary style. There is something to suit all tastes.” By way of example, Annick Heuzé mentions the recent sale of two properties in Le Tholonet at over 2 M €. The first, an 18th-C. “bergerie” or sheepfarm, rehabilitated with real stylishness, found favour with a buyer in his forties, a fan of typical old architecture. The second, an ultra-contemporary villa, won the hearts of an older couple. Buyers with budgets of about 1 million euros can set their sights on a very pretty house with a pool, set in grounds of 2,000 m2. Those whose financial means allow for the exceptional can then take a look at a sumptuously renovated property of 300 m2 dating back to the 19th century. At the foot of the Sainte Victoire, in the midst of a listed site offering breathtaking panoramic views, it offers high-spec contemporary appointments including an infinity pool, while retaining the nobility of its original features. This outstanding property, proposed solely by L’Immobilière du Tholonet, is on offer at 3.9 M €.

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