Herault, on France’s Mediterranean coast, is a famend centre of wine and olive manufacturing. With fairly seaside cities, dramatic river gorges and a wealthy architectural and cultural heritage, the world has rather a lot to supply residents and guests alike. It has a geography that ranges from maritime forest and heathland near the ocean, via to the foothills of the Massif Central mountain vary.
The attractive inland Lac du Salagou is the proper spot for swimming or water sports activities, whereas the calm shallow waters of Etang de Thau close to Sète, are used to farm the oysters that you could be discover in your lunchtime platter of fruits de mer at one of many coast’s many seafood eating places. Herault enjoys a mean of 300 days of sunshine a yr, however whereas the south enjoys a heat Mediterranean local weather, the north experiences extra seasonal modifications. All this implies you’re by no means removed from a change of scene or a change of climate must you need one.
Herault’s capital, Montpellier is historic and cultural, dwelling to one of many oldest universities on this planet, based in 1220, when the town was dominated by Spain earlier than being offered to the French within the 14th century. Its imposing citadel was constructed within the 1620s for King Louis XIII. Often known as the town of 100 fountains, Montpellier additionally has a number of museums. On a extra fashionable word, it’s considered one of France’s wine-growing cities, which means your tipple doesn’t should journey far to achieve your glass.
Property hotspot
Daniel Lake, property agent with Leggett Immobilier, the multi-award-winning property brokers in France, calls this stunning a part of France his dwelling. He moved right here from the UK together with his husband Kevin to Pézenas, just some miles from the coast. With its creamy stone buildings and historic squares, the city centre’s structure spans the late Center Ages proper as much as grand 17th and 18th century mansions. He tells us what he loves about this a part of France, the native property market, and why it’s such an awesome place to reside.
What impressed you to maneuver to Pézenas?
“I spent a few years holidaying in, after which residing close to, Montpellier and fell in love with the parasol pines, azure Mediterranean Sea and the breath-taking countryside. We liked the thought of having the ability to entry our favorite cities within the area, akin to La Grande-Motte, Sète, Agde, Montpellier, Pézenas and Beziers. It’s additionally simple to fly into Gatwick from Montpellier airport, with flights all yr spherical.
That is additionally the proper place to base our companies. As property brokers with worldwide company Leggett Immobilier, we all the time talk to our sellers the significance of how they current their houses to potential consumers. We additionally run Dapper Maison which helps shoppers who need to current their dwelling at its greatest.”
What made you fall in love with the place?
“Our home is totally renovated with many authentic options and low upkeep gardens. We even have a pool, which is a should on this a part of France. Pézenas is a 20-minute drive from the coast and fewer than a 10-minute drive away from our dwelling, providing a wide range of retailers, eating places, cafés and bars.
The close by villages of Caux, Neffiès and Roujan are thriving, with nice bars and eating places. We actually needed to reside someplace full of life, quite than a sleepy villages with nothing occurring. We selected the city not just for its beautiful look and year-round actions, but additionally due to its proximity to every little thing this area has to supply.
We’ve got stunning seashores lower than half-hour away from our dwelling. We even have entry to improbable wines from an unlimited variety of estates and we’re lower than hour from the Spanish border, it’s a super location.”
What are a few of the greatest issues to do within the space?
“There’s a lot to do. The Mediterranean coast, windsurfing or taking a lazy lunch. Wonderful purchasing in Montpellier and Beziers. Nice mountain walks and mountain bike routes close by and Lac Salagou is severely good for water sports activities. Then there are the year-round festivals. Native vineyards and the various co-operatives supply visits and tastings of their glorious wines.
Sète is a particular must-see with the canal passing via the center of the city the place you’ll be able to sit and watch the boats. It’s the proper place for a seafood lunch, purchasing, or mountaineering as much as one of many viewpoints to see the shoreline in all its glory. The big waterfront is lined with examples of fantastic, sometimes French structure and the marina is stuffed with lots of of brightly embellished fishing boats. The city has as excellent market. Outlets, eating places and bars line the bustling streets, and my high tip is to go to the spectacular viewpoint on the hill of Mont Saint-Clair or one of many many golden sandy seashores which wrap across the city.
Mèze is dwelling to a few of the greatest oyster beds in France. Alongside the shoreline you’ll discover loads of huts and eating places serving oysters and wine, many have views of Mont Saint-Clair. La Grande Motte has large boulevards and a singular structure – suppose cruise liners! Initially designed within the Nineteen Sixties, this seaside city has been completely regenerated and rebranded as LGM. It has a really stylish marina with luxurious yachts, glorious eating places and funky cocktails lounges.
To the west of Sète is the city of Agde. Based as a Greek colony in about 500 BC, the seashore of La Tamarissière is memorable, with sand dunes, clusters of pine timber and an azure blue bay. It doesn’t get overcrowded, an awesome place to swim and loosen up and, like most locations right here, parking is free.”
That are a few of the hottest spots for property seekers?
“Pézenas with its massive Saturday market each Saturday could be very fashionable with expats. Vacationers and locals alike collect for the perfect produce, to hearken to reside music and take in the colourful environment. Neffiès can be fashionable – the village has round 1,000 inhabitants and a excessive expat inhabitants. Many villages on this space are surrounded by unspoilt countryside, nice for strolling and excellent for these with canine. The villages of Roujan and Gabian have cheap property costs and are on the record of locations to think about which are up-and-coming.”
What are international consumers searching for?
“Expats love the appeal and character of the regional structure. Exterior house is a should, a backyard or, if they’re utilizing it as a pied à terre, a balcony. These in search of property outdoors of Pézenas search for full of life vibrant villages, and it’s the dream to need to have the ability to stroll to a boulangerie and get a baguette – there’s simply one thing iconic about carrying a baguette in paper round with you! For this reason the area is so excellent – so many villages have been restored and are thriving, largely as a result of inflow of worldwide consumers.”
What can dwelling consumers get for his or her cash?
“Properties vary from small lock up and depart residences within the centre of Pézenas, to luxurious hidden escapes. Cut price properties can nonetheless be discovered within the area, however you must be fast and generally pay the complete asking value. For example, an enthralling two-bedroom village home with a big, accessible terrace, utterly renovated with a few of the greatest countryside views within the village of Neffiès was on our books at €115,000 (2024).”
So why ought to we think about shopping for right here?
“The Hérault area of France continues to be a little bit of a secret gem for expats desirous to reside in virtually year-round sunshine and nice for individuals who need to reside close to stunning Mediterranean seashores. The world has easy type and exquisite provincial landscapes – however with out the Côte d’Azure value tags.”
See Daniel’s portfolio of properties: frenchestateagents.com
