Charleville-Mézières Property Insight

Charleville-Mézières, commonly called Charleville, is the préfecture of the Ardennes department. It is located in the north of the department, only 15km from the Belgian frontier. It accounts for about 53,000 inhabitants (called Carolomacériens) and belongs to a community of communes of more than 73,000 inhabitants.

Overview

The town was created in 1966 with the fusion of two towns: Mézières and Charleville. The latter was the birth place of the famous French poet Rimbaud. It is a commercial place offering beautiful town planning from the 17th century with many beautiful squares. Mézières has an important military architecture as it was fortified under Charlemagne. Located at the edge of the Meuse River, Charleville Mezieres is perfect for a fluvial tour.

Charleville is an important place of exchange easy to access, being thus a crossroads of communication for the northern part of Europe. The town is linked to the major European capitals thanks to good infrastructures: motorways, railways, etc. Situated only one hour from Reims, 1h30 from Bruxelles and Luxembourg and 2h from Lille and Paris, Charleville-Mézières has a strategic location.

As regards economy, metallurgy, mechanical construction, food industry and services are the main domains of activities in Charleville Mézières. The town is home to some buildings of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ardennes.

Charleville-Mézières Immobilier & Property Market Trends

With an average price of €1,566 / square metre in May 2009, Charleville-Mézières is a good location to invest in a property. At the same period (May 2009), it cost about €1,439 / square metre to buy an apartment there and €1,662 / square metre to buy a house. Figures calculated during the period March 2008-Ferbuary 2009 indicate that investing in a 2-room apartment in Charleville-Mézières cost between €1,050/sq m and €1,390/sq m and a 3-room one between €1,170/sq m and €1,640/sq m. When it comes to houses, prices were comprised between €115,000 and €137,000 for a 4-room house for this period and between €120,000 and €156,000 for a 5-room property.

The rental market is good in Charleville-Mézières as more than 64% of the inhabitants rent their property. Apartments represent the great majority of the dwellings: 64.8% against only 32.5% of houses.

To get updated info about the property prices in Ardennes, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

4 Reasons to Buy a Property in Charleville-Mézières

• Civilian and religious heritage: the town has an important heritage which is worth seeing. It houses some beautiful squares such as the place Ducale (17th c.) and the square of the town hall (art deco style, 20th c.). The basilica Notre-Dame d’Espérance was built between 1499 and 1615. Listed as an historical monument, it is a good example of Gothic style. Wonderful churches can be found in Charleville: Saint-Rémi, Saint-Jeanne-d’Arc, Saint Lié de Mohon, etc.

• Museums: do not miss Arthur Rimbaud Museum when visiting Charleville. Located in an old mill, it houses many documents (personal objects, photos, letters, etc) about the life of the French poet who was born in the town. The Museum of Ardenne (located on the Ducale square) is home to historical collections and many archaeological pieces of art. The Grand Marionnettiste is not a museum, but it is an important part of the culture of Charleville. Situated on the front of the puppet’s institute, this robot-clock tells the legend of the 4 sons of Aymon (the legend says that four guys were revolted against Charlemagne who had ordered to murder their oncle. As he saw their courage, the emperor decided to make them knights).

• Cultural life: Charleville Mézières is a cultural town and many events organised all year round attract more and more people. The worldwide festival of puppets, international festival of poetry (‘les ailleurs poétiques’), cinema festival for children, rock festival (‘le Cabaret Vert’), Christmas market, cycle and foot races (respectively called ‘critérium international de la route’ and ‘Sedan-Charleville’) are just a few examples of the local events people can attend.

• Nature: along the Meuse River or in the town centre itself, Charleville-Mézières boasts a great natural area. People can enjoy a trip on the Meuse River or hike in the nature reserve of Bois-en-Val which spreads on 14ha and is home to numerous species of flowers, birds, butterflies, etc. The parc animalier de Saint-Laurent is a must for fauna and flora lovers. Spreading on 45ha of wooded surface, people can admire roe and fallow deers, wild boars, mouflons, etc in this wonderful wildlife park.

Property Styles and Architecture in Charleville-Mézières

• Apartments: almost 65% of the dwellings in Charleville-Mézières are apartments. They can be rather small or very large, depending on the area. Apartments are very sought-after amongst students and young people.

• Town houses: located in the town centre, these properties are constructed in bricks, stone or cement. They have a good layout and come with a piece of land, a garage, a cellar and/or an attic. Town houses may be attached to other houses or detached when they are situated in housing estates.

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Champagne Ardenne.