The Gers – la France Profonde

The Gers is a small department in southwest France. It’s a rural area and, just 60 miles wide, peppered with perfectly preserved and pristine medieval towns and brimming with beautiful villages including 6 Plus Beaux Villages de France.

As the birthplace of D’Artagnan, Alexandre Dumas’ hero from The Three Musketeers – and France’s oldest brandy, Armagnac, Gers, also known by its ancient name of Gascony, is steeped in history. The region is home to a spectacular array of beautiful landscapes, outdoor activities, castles, historical sites and the most delicious gastronomy – this is the authentic France you dream of

The biggest town is the capital, Auch, but you couldn’t call it crowded with a population of around 22,000. The whole region has less than 200,000 inhabitants.

The Gers is rich in agriculture, fruit and walnut production and cattle farming, especially the big creamy Blonde d’Aquitaine cows. Most homeowners have a ‘potager’, vegetable garden, it’s an ideal place for keen gardeners. Nicknamed “God’s larder” by the locals, daily markets area a way of life and gastronomy is an essential element of ‘art-de-vivre’ in the region. Look out for Ferme auberges that produce nearly all that they serve at the table.

The hillsides are smothered in vines and the area is famous for Armagnac. Less well-known, excellent wine is also produced here.

The Pyrenees are just two hours by car, great for skiing in winter and hiking in summer. The west coast beaches, Basque country, Spain and the Côte d’Azur are on the doorstep. Toulouse city can be reached in around 1.5 hours by train from Auch. The seasons are distinct with winters tending to be cold and wet in January and February. Generally the weather is clement year-round – spring sees an explosion of flower, fauna and birdlife. The summer is long, fields of sunflowers are everywhere, and the good weather often lasts well into September and mellows in October, and it’s not unusual to be able to eat outside in the sun in December.

Once popular with retirees, more and more young people and families are choosing the Gers for its laid-back way of life plus excellent internet service for home-working – this department was one of the first in France to deploy high speed broadband and fibre optic networks.

There’s a varied style of property available including modern, timber-frame and traditional limestone houses which are always popular. The average price for an entirely renovated small village house is around €150,000 – €200,000 (2024). And you can still buy properties to renovate starting from less than €30,000 for a village house (2024). Large country mansions start from €350,000 (2024), and farmhouses, plus properties with lots of land, suitable for horse owners are popular. There’s also the possibility to buy land in this low-population department.

The Armagnac-producing Tenarèze area is known as the ‘Golden Triangle and includes the stunning town of Lectoure, Condom, Castera Verduzan, Saint Puy, and the prefecture capital of Auch. Historically, this area was the wealthiest because of the Armagnac trade and the lovely honey coloured limestone houses here reflect the investment in property. Vic-Fezensac and Eauze are attractive towns, with many stone buildings. As you go bit further south towards the steeper hillsides surrounding Marciac where the annual and renowned jazz festival is held, properties tend to be more timber-framed style.

The distances between villages and services mean that a car is essential as public transport is not widely available.

In the Gers, it’s easy to feel like you’ve stepped back in time to a gentler place. You won’t come across coach loads of tourists. And you won’t find traffic jams. What you will find are roads which take you through sweeping panoramas, undulating fields of sunflowers, corn and rapeseed. Vineyards laze under the sun alongside lush grazing pastures dotted with wildflowers. Hedgerows that are stuffed with hawthorn, broom and honeysuckle hug fields and forests. And the cafés and bars are full of friendly folk, happy to share their little corner of paradise.

Despite being very rural, The Gers is accessible with Toulouse or Bordeaux airports in easy driving distance and TGV high speed trains can speed you from Agen to Paris in five hours.

If you long to escape the rat race, then this idyllic off-the-beaten track, unspoiled region might be just what you’re looking for.

Janine Marsh is the author of several internationally best-selling books about France. Her latest book How to be French – a celebration of the French lifestyle and art de vivre, is out now – a look at the French way of life. Find all books on her website janinemarsh.com