Property for sale in Ardèche

Ardèche is best known for the dramatic gorges carved by the river of the same name, its capital, Privas, the smallest prefecture town in France. Good road links keep the department connected while retaining a distinctly rural, unspoilt feel. Rich in prehistoric and religious history, Ardèche is home to the Grotte Chauvet, a UNESCO World Heritage cave containing some of the oldest known prehistoric paintings in the world. Away from the main historic attractions, buyers will find the Ardèche gorges, long popular with canoeists, and villages such as Vogüé and Balazuc, both listed among the most beautiful in France. Ardèche is also noted for dividing broadly into three zones: a temperate, green north, a mountainous, sparsely populated centre, and a warmer, more Mediterranean south near the Gard border. A varied climate brings warm summers and mild winters. Property here ranges from a stone farmhouse in the Ardèche Verte to the north, a rural property near the gorges further south, or a townhouse in Privas or Aubenas. With prehistoric heritage, dramatic gorges and unspoilt villages, it remains among France's most authentic departments. Houses in Ardèche currently average €1,865/m².