Protected by the Regional Nature Park label since July, 2006, this mountain range covers an area of 25 km between the valleys of the Rhône and Durance, in the north-western corner of “département 13”, less than an hour’s drive from Marseille. An address both authentic and chic...

Time seems to stand still in the Alpilles, yet the region is easily accessible. Only 20 km from the TGV station in Avignon, this landscape covered with scrub, pines, oaks, olive-trees and little streams known as “gaudres”, is not far from Marignane Airport or Nîmes. The A7 (Lyon-Marseille) and A54 (Nîmes-Salon-de-Provence) motorways are within easy reach, while the A9 (Orange-Montpellier-Perpignan) is 20 km away. The Alpilles are known for being popular among writers, including Alphonse Daudet and Frédéric Mistral, and artists such as the inspired Van Gogh, but also for its wine, bearing the “AOC Coteaux des Baux de Provence” label. Its architectural legacy is just as rich, as illustrated by Les Antiques in Saint-Rémy, the Abbaye de Montmajour, Romanesque churches and chapels near Saint-Etienne-du-Grès and the medieval citadel of Les Baux. The locals pepetuate traditions such as transhumance (taking sheep to the mountains in summer), the blessing of carts and bull-fighting, but especially the art of everyday life. This part of Provence is proud of its history, tied to its traditions and respectful of its identity.

“Whether Maussane or Le Paradou to the south, Les Baux, Saint-Rémy or Eygalières in the centre, these communes are all highly sought-after and post prices comparable to, or slightly higher than, those of Mouriès, Fontvieille Saint-Etienne-du-Grès, Maillane, Eyragues, Gravezon and Aureille,” says Yannick Bouteloup of Happy Immobilier. While visits made in 2009 only came to fruition as from September, the spring of 2010 has shown more promise. Outstanding properties leave little margin for negotiation, but standard homes are the subject of hard bargaining and often necessitate a 10-20 % reduction compared to “official” prices in January, 2008. For this estate-agent, the largest source of demand now concerns year-round homes in the 300,000 to 500,000 € bracket. Working on site, in Avignon, Arles, Fos-sur-Mer or Istres, ie. within a radius of 40 km maximum around the Alpilles, local residents will buy, for example, a Provençal villa of 160 m2 in good condition with a garden of 1,120 m2 in Aureille for 500,000 €, or a “mas” of 130 m2 to renovate in a garden of 465 m2 over towards Maussane, priced at 420,000 €. In the case of holiday homes, budgets range from 130,000 €, the sum required for a maisonnette of 40 m2 opening onto a garden on an estate with pool and tennis courts, to 1.3 million euros, which will bring a restored “mas” of 550 m2 on about 10 acres of land. Over and above 1.5 million euros, prospective buyers still seem cautious, no doubt stung by the brutality of the financial crisis and the debacle on stock markets. Yet French, Belgian, Dutch, English and Swiss clients are as fond as ever of the Alpilles. Yannick Bouteloup acknowledges the charm exercised by Maussane, Les Baux and indeed Saint-Rémy. Especially as the locality benefits from Mediterranean vegetation and the proximity of two golf-courses. Its renowned restaurants, guest-houses and hotels all do the region proud.

“Activity certainly seems to be getting back into its stride, but the chart still reveals sharp ups-and-downs,”comments Laurence Boscolo of Alpilles Luberon Immobilier. Unlike the manager of Happy Immobilier, she does 80 % of her business with occasional residents. Transactions which range from 700,000 to 2.2 million euros and do not require mortagages from the banks. The wealthy in fact believe that bricks and mortar are still a safe investment, and that the Alpilles can be considered as a blue-chip address. Based in Eygalières, Laurence Boscolo points to lower turnover and real price stability in this confidential and quiet market spared by mass tourism. You won’t find any estates or apartment residences here. The starting price is 300,000 €, which corresponds to a village house of 130 m2 extended by a terrace of 20 m2. Tele-commuting and the short distance separating the village from the TGV station, which puts Paris 2 hrs 40 minutes away by train plus a 30-minute drive, encourage some people from the capital to settle here on a semi-permanent basis. “The reputation of Saint-Rémy stretches well beyond the borders of the “département”, and even France itself. And the trend towards homogenization does not change anything,” says Julia Braille of AJC Immobilier. Enjoying a central location in the “Golden Triangle”, this town on a human scale does not suffer from seasonality. Demand always exceeds supply, as much for old buildings within the urban area as for highly-prized “mas” on the outskirts. Some buyers are willing to look at properties in neighbouring villages. For many Parisians, it is now easier to reach their retreats in Provence than in Normandy, notorious for very busy traffic conditions on Friday and Sunday evenings.