Gers is the least populated department in France. It occupies a land area midway between the Pyrenees Mountains and the great Garonne River that divides the French landscape in a line between Bordeaux and Narbonne in the Languedoc. Forming part of the Armagnac region, the landscape in Gers consists of hills and valleys radiating down from the south of the department. In the north of the department are shallow undulating hills and flat plains over which acres of sunflowers grow close to the Garonne. If you're looking for low-cost rural French property in the south of France, Gers could be the area for you.
The Gers area has a long-established wine-growing tradition. Much of the western half of the department rests under vines, the vineyards producing the best of Gascony's wines. The world-famous Armagnac label heralds from the region, as do wines from the Madiran vineyard and vineyards of the Cotes Saint-Mont and Cotes de Gascogne.
The largest town in the region is Auch. It has a population of just 23,000, and is crammed full of delightful medieval architecture - even the main tourist office building in the town dates back to the 15th century! Outside Auch and into the Gers countryside is a plethora of bastides (fortified villages) - perfect locations in which to find semi-rural Gers property with a bit of character.
French property prices in Gers are the lowest in the Midi-Pyrenees region. A 3-bed Gers property on 2 acres of land near Mirande was recently on the market for 206,000 euros, while a 5-bed villa in France near Plaisance in the west of the region can be purchased for just 220,000 euros.
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