Lourmarin and the southern part of the Luberon
38 km from Aix, 16 km from Pertuis and 63 km from Avignon, Lourmarin, one of the loveliest villages in France, has nothing to envy of the “Golden Triangle” formed by Ménerbes, Gordes and Bonnieux. The address is known as the rear base of the capital of “Green Provence”.
“The southern part of the Luberon is home to Lourmarin, Cadenet, Cucuron, Vaugines, Lauris, Puyvert, Ansouis, Puget-sur-Durance and Mérindol, together with villages in Le Pays d’Aigues, La Tour, Cabrières, La Motte, Peypin and Grambois,” explains Martine Vérots, head of communication and press secretary for the Michaël Zingraf Real Estate group. Each week, these authentic addresses hold cheerful and friendly markets. Among locally-produced offerings, one finds AOC Côte du Luberon wines, olives, cherries and cereals. La Bastide du Laval in Cadenet won the gold medal in the agricultural competition for its olive-oil, with the Château Les Gardis in Lourmarin carrying off the silver medal. Lourmarin owes it appeal to its development of tourism and cultural activities, its year-round liveliness and excellent restaurants, including La Fenière run by René Sammut - in short, its genuine quality of life. Hiking enthusiasts appreciate the “Route des Châteaux Médiévaux”. If the villages of Aigues benefit from surroundings reminiscent of Tuscan landscapes and magnificent views of the Sainte-Victoire, Cucuron and its pond right in the centre of the region is drawing a growing number of fans. Accessibility to the southern Luberon is also a weighty argument : the TGV station is, in fact, a 35-minute drive away, and it only takes 40 minutes to reach the Marseille-Marignane Airport. Enjoying the area’s peacefulness in all four seasons, the clientele here is wealthy and cultivated. The opera festival in Aix and piano festival in La Roque-d’Anthéron are among the highlights on the calendar.
“The River Durance separates the Pays d’Aix from the Southern Luberon. Demand is particularly strong in Lourmarin, the home and burial place of Albert Camus, and within a 10-km radius all around,” says Rudi Janssens of Janssens Immobilier. “Peter Mayle, author of the bestseller “A Year in Provence”, settled here after making the village of Ménerbes so well-known. In his books, including “A Good Year”, made into a film by Ridley Scott, another fan of the region, Mayle constantly evokes the charm of Provence.” Rudi Janssens defines two distinct markets : the first composed of local clients, accounting for 50 % of transactions, and the second consisting of holiday homes, with a diverse clientele. Aix, Les Milles and Cadarache, birthplace of the ITER project, are an important source of new buyers, ready to pay from 200,000 € - the starting-price for houses - to 600,000 €, the sum required for a classic Provençal property with five bedrooms. Occasional residents, three-quarters of whom are French, invest from 400,000 to 2.5 million euros. Recently, a buyer from Lyon treated himself to a villa of 120 m2 in grounds of 1,000 m2 in Lourmarin, costing 520,000 €. An Englishman forked out 1.2 million euros for a “mas” in need of renovation, composed of two buildings totalling 500 m2 on about 5 acres of land over towards Vaugines. Finally, a French client paid 400,000 € for a plot of 2,000 m2 on which to build a house of up to 400 m2. Lourmarin is 10-15 % more expensive than other communes in the southern Luberon, thus bearing comparison with the “Golden Triangle”. This area defined by Gordes, Ménerbes and Bonnieux offers, however, a wider range of products, starting with the famous “hameaux” (entire hamlets), which are almost non-existent in the plain. “Since the spring, British and Belgian clients are making a comeback with very fat wallets,” notes Martine Vérots. Old stones top the popularity polls, and properties of real quality are always in steady demand. Also highly-prized, contemporary villas bear the brunt of stringent planning regulations.
“Since the crisis, prices have dropped unevenly depending on the address. Lourmarin and La Tour-d’Aigues are holding steady,” adds Marie-Christine Valette of the Bonpré agency, who admits that she has not suffered from any decline in interest. In 2009, buyers frequently paid cash and mostly targetted properties at around 500,000 €. From January, 2010, first-time buyers reappeared, though they never exceeded a 20 % market-share. With a budget of 200,000 € maximum, they focussed on the immediate proximity of La Tour. Then the employment area of Cadarache saw a significant impact on transactions between 400,000 and 600,000 €, a price-bracket corresponding to standard villas with pools, sometimes facing the Luberon or Mont Sainte-Victoire. These buyers rarely look for properties as far away as Lourmarin or Cucuron. Not keen on lengthening their daily trips back and forth, they stay within the limits of the Pays d’Aix. La Motte-d’Aigues, L’Etang de Bonde and its beach are nevertheless well worth the detour, just like La Bastide-des-Jourdans. Equidistant from Pertuis and Manosque, this area, lively throughout the year, enjoys an attractive rural setting and more affordable prices. Undoubtedly the most well-off, holiday home-owners often close to retirement frequently consider settling down here for good. They appreciate the proximity of the sea, the countryside and a large urban area, coupled with enchanting scenery in the Regional Nature Park.
By Laetitia Rossi
