Destination Deux-Sèvres – sunshine and a laid-back lifestyle

With plenty of sunshine, green spaces, pretty villages and historic towns, Deux-Sèvres offers a fantastic lifestyle.

The rural department of Deux-Sèvres, in Poitou-Charentes (part of Nouvelle Aquitaine) takes its name from the Sèvre Nantaise and Sèvre Niortaise rivers, both of which have their source here. The capital of the department, Niort, is just an hour from La Rochelle and its most famous attraction is the Marais Poitevin, the “green Venice” of France, an area of marshes with prolific wildlife.

It’s a sleepy sort of region, not a major tourist attraction but it’s become increasingly popular with expats seeking the good life in France. With a great range of property styles and prices, it’s one of the cheapest places in France for houses. There are two main airports close by: La Rochelle and Poitiers, and TGV from Poitiers (from 1h4m) and Niort (from 1h53m).

There are several reasons that the area is becoming more and more popular for both French and foreign buyers looking for a more authentic and rural way of life.

Deux-Sèvres is in the centre of the triangle between La Rochelle, Poitiers and Nantes airports and it’s just over three hours to Saint Malo for the ferry. With easy access to the beaches of Charente-Maritime and the Vendée, plus plenty of other tourist attractions, it’s a great area for expat retirees, holiday homeowners, families with children and those wanting to run gites. And the weather – it’s much warmer and sunnier than in the north, but without the intense heat of the far south with 2,600 hours of sunshine each year, not far behind the Mediterranean resorts 2775 hours of sunshine. Banana trees are even known to thrive here!

The location is great for those who want a quiet life or for those who want plenty of activities and things to do. You can easily get to the beaches and the superstar theme parks of Puy du Fou and Futuroscope are close by. Cognac and the Loire Valley are neighbours. There’s not much traffic on the roads and the countryside is glorious. The Gatine countryside for instance, has rolling hills with granite boulders brought down in the ice age, people say it reminds them of Wales – except with sunshine. The Marais Poitevan in a classified Grand Site de France, its natural and cultural heritage protected, renowned for its picture postcard charm, its complex labyrinth of canals criss-crossing idyllic meadows and its enchanting riverside villages, each with their own little port. Lush, rich vegetation bursts with wildlife, while willow trees sigh over lazy waterways and lines of poplar trees grace the watery arteries – perfect for messing about in boats. And for those who like cycling, the Voies Vertes, disused railway lines are brilliant.

The average house price is around €180,000 euros. Prices start as low as €20,000 for properties needing renovation. You could currently get a charming country cottage for around €80,000, or a house with a gite at €318,000. Farmhouses with land for horses, village properties, apartments in the city of Niort, family homes, holiday homes, gite complexes and B&B properties – there’s everything here. Sous-sol houses are generally unknown to the British market, they are like a bungalow from the front but have a basement and are much bigger inside than they look from the outside. A typical, local property would be a ‘longère’, a long country house, with exposed stonework and beams.

Parthenay, a medieval town with small narrow streets is very popular. It has a river, cattle market (Parthenais cows), plus plenty of restaurants and bars. Bressuire has a yearly Grand Prix of old cars racing around the streets and every two years a Highland Games contest held in the chateau. Saint Loup-sur-Thouet and Moncoutant are also popular. Coulon is one of France’s prestigious “plus beaux villages” and home to whitewashed houses with bright and cheerful shutters and flowerbeds groaning with colour. La Garette south of Coulon and Le Mazeau are two other places that ooze charm with traditional old houses backing onto the canals and the work of local artisans begging for a browse. And don’t miss Arҫais, home to the cultivation of Angelica, with its beautiful little port, caressed by the shadow of a 19th century chateau.

Because there is less traffic here, everything is easier to reach, so even an isolated property isn’t really that far from facilities.

If you prefer city living Niort, the capital, is a small city and home to a maze of twisting narrow streets lined with elegant Renaissance town houses. Remains of a 12th century fortress are now the municipal museum, and weekly markets bring visitors for miles around. Madame de Maintenon, the uncrowned wife of Louis XIV was born here in 1635. There’s plenty of culture and a great café lifestyle.

Deux-Sèvres is sunny, friendly and relaxed, ingredients for the good life…

See properties for sale with Leggett Immobilier here: leggettimmobilier.com/deux-sevres