Tarn has been in the news lately with the controversial A69 autoroute, first proposed in 1994, carving its way through the countryside between Castres and Toulouse, despite spirited opposition.
Those in favour paint the new 53km, €450million road as a necessary link to open up the more rural side of the department, while opponents cite the cost, environmental damage and relatively minor savings in driving time.
They also refute the economic arguments, pointing out that Castres and surrounding towns now have 200,000 inhabitants – a population that, like the rest of the department’s, grows each year. Hardly signs of decline…
Historically, Tarn was divided between a mainly Catholic, industrial north, shaped by the coal mines around Carmaux, and a mainly Protestant and agricultural south, known for sheep farming, with wool supplying the mills of Castres and Mazamet and milk used to make Roquefort in neighbouring Aveyron.
The vineyards around Gaillac claim to be among the oldest in Europe, with wine being made there for 2,000 years.
Road links are dominated by the A68 and the soon-to-be-completed A69, while the closest airports are either the large international one at Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) or at Rodez (Aveyron), which has a summer Ryanair service to London, as well as flights to Paris, Lille, Brussels, Porto and Ajaccio.
Tarn is not served by the TGV network, but the main line from Brive (Corrèze) to Toulouse passes through the department with eight trains a day. TER trains provide services between the main towns.
As far back as the 1980s, French newspapers were often citing Tarn – and especially Carmaux – as a great place to retire, and the department remains a popular choice among this demographic.
This is reflected in property prices, with few homes on the market for less than €50,000 despite the isolated, rural nature of many villages and the fact that the department has a population density of just under 70 people per km² (compared to the national average of 107).
The following properties were available at the time of writing:
Under €50,000
Christophe Masson, 3G Immo, Castres
This old, stone-built house in the countryside near Castres is on the market for €45,000. It has been empty for a while and a lot of work is needed to bring it up to modern standards. Nevertheless, the walls look solid and after a thorough clean it should be possible to camp in the 136m² living space in the meantime.
There is a small 419m² plot of land across the road, which comes with the house. Although currently very overgrown, it has the potential to be a useful vegetable garden.
This 15th-Century house is situated in Salles, near the famous medieval village of Cordes-sur-Ciel (voted the most beautiful village in France in 2014) and only 25 minutes from Albi. It is on the market for €219,000.
The property has been well restored with a mix of plastered and exposed stone walls, with only a bathroom still to be worked on.
It has four bedrooms and a large courtyard garden of 1,582m².
Heating is provided by a large wood pellet boiler, complemented by a wood stove.
There are lots of chateaux for sale in Tarn, but this three-storey maison de maître in the commune of Cadalen, not far from the A68 between Toulouse and Albi, has an elegant simplicity in both the house and gardens. It is on the market for €1,150,000.
There are five bedrooms in a living space of 450m². The house is approached via a shaded road through a three-hectare park, with two ponds and an enclosure for horses or donkeys.
A smaller house has been converted into an indoor swimming pool and relaxation area, with a small studio apartment above.
