France’s Best-kept Secret (Just 90 Minutes From Paris)

Where can you find a solid stone village house of 1,400 square feet, ready to move into, for $84,000? Your neighbors make a world-famous white wine, and on your doorstep is a nature reserve and one of Europe’s last wild rivers. And Paris is an easy hour-and-a-half drive away. Yet few people--even the French--have heard of this little-known corner of Burgundy that has big-value properties at bargain prices.

I’m talking about the Nièvre department in France, bordered to the west by the Loire river, to the south by the start of the Auvergne mountains, with the vineyards of Beaune and Chablis to the east and north. This is an area worth visiting not just for the wine alone, but also for the property gems hidden here. I’ve been exploring the region since April 2007, and have been so taken with what I’ve found that I decided to buy a house here. Let me tell you what I’ve discovered.

With the middle reaches of the Loire river forming a natural border to the west--perfect for canoeing, fishing, and bird-watching--and a secret area of lakes, ancient forests, and old mountains called the Morvan to the east, it’s a region of natural reserves and beauty. It’s what you might call the green Burgundy, as the climate is milder in winter than where the famous red wines are produced. To the south is the Formula 1 racetrack at Magny-Cours and the old-world charm of the spa town of Saint-Honoré-les-Bains.

There are few major cities, adding to its rustic charm--Nevers is the regional capital with all the amenities you need, while Cosne is a lively market town, and Charité sur Loire is a cultural stop. The Nièvre is an area that merits a slow tour, to be savored like one of the fine wines here, as there are so many tranquil or quirky villages to discover, woods to wander, and canals and rivers to follow.

The people are friendly and of an independent mind, not as conservative as the folk making the famous red wines in the region. Although slow to warm, they’ve been unfailingly helpful and patient since my first trip here. I’ve come across villages with an active cultural program such as Nannay and Donzy (offering wine shows, book fairs, film festivals, and garden fêtes), dynamic wine production like Raveau and Pouilly sur Loire, others with an outgoing Dutch community, and many with regular yard-sale-type events throughout the year--this part of the country doesn’t die in winter. Yet the Nièvre has still to be discovered by tourists and its historic sites are only just starting to be restored and opened to the public. You won’t find any pristine-but-soulless museum towns here--only places where ordinary folk live and work and play.

Since buying here, I continue to be charmed by the authentic simplicity of the area. Friends who come to visit are amazed by the constantly changing sandy banks and beaches of the Loire, the warmth of the people, as well as the hearty food (and fine wine). Property prices are also attractive, even in the prettiest villages.

I wrote in detail about this part of France in a recent issue of the IL Magazine. You can read it here …or subscribe to the magazine here if you're not yet a member.

Leigh Fergus
For International Living

Editor's note: The easiest, quickest, and cheapest way to jump start your new life in France…is with IL's France: The Owner's Manual. We're down to the last few copies of our "print edition clearance sale" inventory…so if you want to get a copy of the France Owner's Manual at a 20% discount and with free shipping….you better hurry

To read more IL articles on France, see:

Why, Right Now, La Vie Francaise is More Affordable Than You Think

Your Pied-à-Terre by the Arc de Triomphe for $210,000

A Home in a Wine Paradise For $36,000