The Franch Comte region in Eastern France is a vast natural paradise. Mountains, forests, lakes and rivers spread out through the four departments across this land, offering everything from adventure to relaxation in the great outdoors. Yet, despite the region's immense natural resources, Franche Comte has remained off the beaten path for many a French property buyer. Consequently, property prices have not risen as much as in some other areas to the south and west of France. A 3-bed detached home here in Franche Comte can still be purchased for less than 65,000 euros.
Outside of the Ile de France region, Belfort in the north-east of Franche Comte is the smallest department in France. Bordering Switzerland, Belfort has a rich heritage and breathtaking scenery. The main city in the region - also known as Belfort -is small and compact. The old town is dominated by a fortified castle on which stands a 72ft sculpture of a lion that was delicately carved from sandstone taken from the Vosges Mountains. To the south-east of the city is the Bourbeuse Canal as well as an area that contains more than 50 lakes.
Haute-Saone is the northernmost department in the region, and it is where Franche Comte property is at its least expensive. Mainly rural, the Haute-Saone is almost overwhelmed by orchards, meadows, wooded hills and forests. The Saone River flows through this part of the region, providing for more than 100kms of navigable waterway.
To the south of Haute-Saone is the department of Doubs, which, out of all the Franche Comte departments, has the longest border with Switzerland, defined as it is by the foothills of the Jura Mountains. The River Doubs - again a highly navigable stretch of river - runs through this area for more than 300kms. Doubs though is most noteworthy for its forests. Over forty-percent of the land in Doubs comprises of trees, making it one of the greenest areas in France.
South again of Doubs is the department of Jura, so-called for the Jura Mountains that dominate the southern part of the Franche Comte region. The Jura Mountains rise sharply to some 6,000ft in the south-east of Jura, forming a physical boundary between France and Switzerland. The landscape is wild here, with forests, lakes and waterfalls adding to the visual drama of this area. During the winter snow caps the Jura Mountains making them a valid alternative to the French Alps for winter sports. And, given that Franche Comte property is as much as half the price of similar French property in the mainstream Alps region, Jura can be a very inexpensive area in which to buy that ski chalet or mountainside villa in France.
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