Villefranche-de-Rouergue Property Insight

Villefranche-de-Rouergue is a town of around 12,000 inhabitants situated in the Aveyron department. Between the faults of the Causses and the Seguela, the area offers marvellous undulating sights. It is a good starting point for ballades or hikes.

Built in the 13th century, it is a bastide town as you can find many in the south of France. The high increase of the population at that time required a grouping of the population and the organisation of the economical exchanges. That is why those bastides were built.

Overview

The town owns a rich historical patrimony composed by numerous archaeological sites and buildings, of which 21 are protected by the French Culture Ministry. Walking in the narrow streets of the bastide and discover the architecture and the beautiful buildings and sites is really pleasant. Furthermore, Thursday is the day of market. It is the better way to meet people from the area, to exchange a word with them and to discover the products of the region. Cooked meats, Foie Gras, pâté, sausages, local wine and cheese are the kind of typical products you can find there. Try one of the French specialities while you are there… snails cooked with garlic butter or with Roquefort, a typical cheese of the region! Several sorts of craftsmanship are also represented. Thus you can buy there some potteries or knifes for instance.

Villefranche-de-Rouergue Immobilier & Property Market Trends

The Aveyron department is not an expensive one, and thus the properties are there affordable. Property prices are around €1,800/ s qm. Even with a quite cheap price, 11% of all the properties are vacant. Hurry up to find your dream house if you enjoy the southern life! There, 62% of the accommodations are houses and if you move a bit away from the centre, on the heights of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, you will perhaps find good opportunities of old stone farmhouses to restore.

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

3 Reasons to Buy a Property in Villefranche-de-Rouergue

If you dream of living in a medieval town, the bastide of Villefranche-de-Rouergue is a great place for you. The atmosphere and the settings are typical from this kind of town, but it also has other assets:

• Gastronomy: if you go to have a look on the weekly market, you will find many tasty specialities of the area. Cheese is well represented with 5 AOC (a French label which guarantees the origin of a product and is a mark of prestige). The most renowned ones are roquefort, blue cheese of the Causses, tome of Laguiole, cabecous and perail (ewe cheese).

• Gentle way of life: this town likes to say that it marks the border with the South. There, you will really feel things remind you that you are in this famous part of France. The singing accent, the atmosphere of the weekly market and its good products which titillate your nostrils, the sun… and of course, a slow rhythm of life to take the time to really enjoy all these things!

• Sport: many different kinds of sport can be done in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, thanks to its geographical situation. The proximity with rivers and lakes enable you to do water sports and fishing, while the relief offers some caves to do potholing or cliffs to climb.

Property Styles and Architecture in Villefranche-de-Rouergue

• Half-timbered houses: in the bastide town, you can still find some old half-timbered houses, a style which was above all popular during the Middle Ages. This kind of house has usually several floors and the walls are made with lime. The beams and stones are visible, which really makes the charm and the specificity of these houses.
• Stone farmhouses: old farmhouses in stone give a rustic charm to Villefranche-de-Rouergue. It is a rural area and many farmhouses were formerly built. These properties generally have outbuildings which were used for the agricultural exploitation or for stockbreeding. Once renovated, these houses offer room and keep all their authenticity.

Click here for more info about the Architecture of Midi-Pyrenees.