The greater Luberon, home to main and second residences

60 km long and 5 km wide, this mountain range stretches east to west from the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to the Vaucluse, culminating at an altitude of 1,125 metres in Le Mourre Nègre. Lying east of the valley of Lourmarin, south of Apt and the Monts du Vaucluse, west and north of the River Durance, the “Grand Luberon” is very popular among fans of wide open spaces.

The Luberon was listed as a regional nature park in 1977. A distinction which protects the site from rampant urban development. For over three decades, captains of European industry and finance have already been treating themsleves to authentic Provençal properties. The art of living in the Luberon has even inspired English literature, starting with author Peter Mayle. “A Year in Provence” is a perfect example of these books on “integration or adaptation “. This agricultural area also makes its living from tourism, both historic and cultural, with the accent on relaxation or quite simply nature. Céreste, in the département of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is home to 1,265 year-round residents. At an altitude of 370 metres, this little town is on the ancient Domitia road between Avignon and Dignes. In the 19th century, the locals bred pigs and silkworms here, cultivated vines, olive-trees and wheat, while also winning a fine reputation for truffles. Today, the locality benefits from a crèche and primary school, a tennis court, municipal pool, riding centre and mini-golf. One-third of the accommodation is dedicated to second homes. Apt, the sub-prefecture of the Vaucluse, owes its renown to its weekly market launched in the 12th century by King René. Every Saturday, a large, select crowd of visitors descend on the town. Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt, with 2,660 residents, lies at an altitude of 350 metres, clinging to the sides of the Monts de Vaucluse, 9 km from Apt with its intermediate and secondary schools, 19 km from Gordes and 50 km from Avignon. Hamlets and housing estates are to be found below the “garrigue” and forests of oaks and conifer trees. Producing AOC Ventoux and Pays d’Aigues wines, the commune offers 250 km of signposted paths. The area is also home to Le Domaine des Andéols, belonging to the Alain Ducasse group.

Alice and François Sanchez of Pierres & Tradition, with three stars in the Couder Guide, opened their first agency in Apt 13 years ago, and the second in Céreste, six years later. “Céreste has all the shops and amenities required for day-to-day life. A thoroughfare between the Luberon and skiing resorts in the Alps, the village is 20 minutes from Manosque, which is on the motorway. Property acquisitions are shared out equally between main and holiday homes.” Local buyers, often couples working in both the 84 and 04 départements, can afford to pay up to 250,000 €, opting for village houses of 70-90 m2 with terraces or villas of 80-100 m2 requiring a revamp with gardens of about 1,000 m2. Occasional residents are both French and foreign, frequently Belgian and pre-retirees, intending to spend more time in the South of France. Fond of outdoor activities, they pay from 400,000 € for their second residences, bringing a “bergerie” of 100-120 m2 in good condition with a garden of 1,000 m2 near the village, to 1.2 million euros, the budget required for a “bastide” or a renovated farmhouse of at least 250 m2 with 5 to 12.5 acres of land. Just 30 minutes from the “Golden Triangle” formed by Gordes, Ménerbes and Bonnieux, the Grand Luberon offers housing which is concentrated in villages and rural areas as far as the eye can see. Halfway between these two worlds, Apt marks a distinction between the west, comparable to the Triangle as soon as one heads towards Goult and Roussillon, and the east, dotted with hill-top villages such as Viens, Caseneuve and Saint-Martin-de-Castillon. Offering friendly restaurants and at least one shop selling bread, addresses have much the same atmosphere as that of Céreste.

“Local buyers can usually manage to raise 200,000 €, or occasionally 250,000 €, even if it means carrying out the restoration work often necessary for this type of budget,” say Nicole and Jean-Pierre Blanc of Luberon Provence Immobilier. “They would rarely find homes at these prices in Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt.” Clients looking for holiday homes pay 400,000 € or more for at least three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a swimming pool and a sweeping view of the countryside. They often cover their running costs thanks to seasonal rentals. Over the past six months, properties sold in Saint-Saturnin, Apt and Gargas ranged from 220,000 to 360,000 €. The locals target the last two addresses while the first, more expensive, tends more to attract buyers from outside the region. Over and above 800,000 €, one can find some very desirable properties. Unfortunately, demand is currently rather sluggish. At the top end of the market, the area comes up against competition from the Golden Triangle. As for the intermediate bracket, ie. 350,000 to 500,000 €, it suffers from 1970’s-1980’s architecture often looked upon as old-fashioned, and a value-for-money ratio

which is not very persuasive.

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