A new departure for Tarascon

Located at the far west of the Bouches-du-Rhône, Tarascon boasts an outstanding legacy in terms of properties with lots of character. Its real estate market is one of the most attractive in this privileged area, close to the Alpilles, Avignon, Nîmes and Arles.

With its cobbled streets brimming with charm and an increasingly rich cultural life, Tarascon, now a stop-over for boating fans on the Rhône, is being borne along by fresh dynamism, with the municipality undertaking more and more projects to boost its economic and tourist appeal. Benefiting from an exceptional architecturel heritage from its chequered past, Tarascon hosts a château, several convents and chapels rehabilitated to provide living accommodation, bourgeois houses, Provençal “mas” and 17th-C. mansions which have retained the grandeur of their era.

“Our clients looking for charming holiday homes are won over by houses of character in Tarascon, on offer at prices sharply lower than those found in the Alpilles,” says Sandy Marquis of the Agence de Saint-Rémy. By way of example, she mentions a majestic Provençal “mas” of 210 m2 which has preserved its original features, including impressive painted ceilings. Enthroned in a park of 4,300 m2 with a swimming pool and annexes, it is up for sale at 552,000 €. “In the centre, private mansions with inner courtyards are looked upon as real gems by English and American buyers, well aware that by paying from 600,000 to 1 M € for this type of authentic property, they are making acquisitions of very high quality and obtaining excellent value for money.”

“Our transactions are equally shared out between acquisitions of main homes by local families and holiday residences bought by clients from Paris, Lyon, Belgium and Switzerland, in search of a charming pied-à-terre, a 17th-C. mansion in the historic centre, or a “mas” of character in a lovely setting in the country, within easy reach of the town centre,” explains Philippe Bardi of Immo Sud Transactions, based in Tarascon for the past 8 years. “These “mas” require budgets of around 500,000 €.” People working locally, in administrative services, for the numerous firms based in the town, or self-employed professionals, can acquire 2-bedroomed apartments for about 170,000 €, either old or more recent. Such as a rare example of 70 m2 with a sunny terrace, on the top floor of a select residence with a lift and garages. “People from Avignon and Arles opt to live in Tarascon for its excellent value for money, its heritage, and the excellent reputation of its schools. You can find properties of very high quality here, such as a charming and fully restored house of 170 m2 with a huge courtyard and an inner terrace, currently on offer at 249,000 €.” Similarly, a sublime and fully restored “mas” in the country, with 3 bedrooms and 2 suites, in grounds of 3,500 m2 with a pool area, is up for sale at 530,000 €. With a good array of properties in very different styles, Tarascon is clearly a market of opportunities to be followed very closely.