Between the Garonne and the Pyrenees lies Gascony: rolling hills of sunflowers and vines, honey-coloured bastide villages and some of the most beautiful country houses in France. Our agency is in Condom, in the heart of the Gers. This is our home, and here is why so many of our clients fall for it too.
The Gers
Gascony, the little Tuscany of France
Gascony, the historic name for the Gers, is a rolling patchwork of sunflowers, maize, vineyards and wooded ridges, scattered with medieval bastides, castles and belles maisons. To the north runs the Garonne; to the south, on a clear day, the Pyrenees line the horizon.
It is one of the least crowded corners of France. Summer arrives early and autumn lingers. Life moves at its own pace: empty country lanes, Saturday markets, long lunches in the shade. A part of France where you step back in time, without giving up any comfort.
Why here
Ten reasons to buy a home in Gascony
- More house and land for your money than in Provence or the Dordogne
- An unspoilt landscape, far from mass tourism
- A mild climate with long, sunny summers
- Views of the Pyrenees, with the mountains within two and a half hours
- The Atlantic beaches of the Landes and the Basque coast within reach
- Armagnac, Floc de Gascogne, Côtes de Gascogne and Madiran: a wine and food lover’s region
- Lively markets and village festivals all summer long
- Real character: Gascon farmhouses, maisons de maître, chartreuses and châteaux
- Easy to reach, with four airports within two hours
- A warm welcome, from the French and from a friendly international community
Our home base
Condom and the Ténarèze
Condom sits on the river Baïse, crowned by the Gothic cathedral of Saint-Pierre and its cloister. Armagnac houses line its streets, pilgrims on the Way of St James pass through, and every spring the town fills with brass bands for its famous Bandas festival. Our office is here, a few minutes from the centre.
All around are some of the prettiest villages in the Gers: Larressingle, the “little Carcassonne”; Fourcès, a round bastide; and La Romieu with its collegiate church.
Hilltop town
Lectoure and the Lomagne
Perched on a ridge with views to the Pyrenees, Lectoure is one of the most elegant towns in the Gers: a cathedral, fine stone town houses, antique dealers and a thermal spa. The surrounding Lomagne is known for its sweet melons and white garlic.
Nearby, the bastides of Fleurance and Saint-Clar keep their arcaded squares and weekly markets very much alive.
Towards the Pyrenees
Auch, Marciac and the south
Auch, the capital of the Gers, rises above the river Gers with its great cathedral of Sainte-Marie, famous for its stained glass and carved choir stalls, and the monumental staircase guarded by d’Artagnan.
Further south, the bastides of Mirande and Marciac lead towards the mountains. Every summer, Marciac hosts Jazz in Marciac, one of the best-known jazz festivals in Europe, while the vineyards of Madiran and Saint-Mont roll out at the foot of the Pyrenees.
Bas-Armagnac
Armagnac country: Eauze and Vic-Fezensac
West of Condom the vineyards take over. Eauze, the capital of Armagnac, has a Gallo-Roman treasure in its museum and a lively market around its cathedral. Family estates open their cellars for tastings all year round.
Vic-Fezensac is a town of festivals: its Pentecost feria and the Tempo Latino music festival bring thousands of visitors every year, before the quiet returns to the vineyards.
Everyday life
Living in Gascony
Quiet does not mean isolated. Hospitals in Auch, Condom and Agen, good schools, supermarkets and weekly markets are never far away, and fibre broadband is reaching more and more villages. A large international community, from Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and beyond, has made its home here alongside the Gascons.
And we do not leave you on your own after the sale: our team helps with the practical side of settling in, in English, French, Dutch or German.
Where we sell
Our towns and villages
Getting here
Easy to reach, wonderfully unspoilt
Deep countryside, yet never far from anywhere: four airports and a high speed rail station within two hours of Condom.
Approximate driving times from Condom.
- Agen – La GarenneFlights to Paris Orly 45 min
- Toulouse – BlagnacInternational hub, UK and European flights 1 h 30
- Bordeaux – MérignacUK, Dutch and European flights 2 h
- Pau – PyrénéesFlights to Paris and London 1 h 45
- Agen TGVHigh speed trains to Bordeaux and Paris 45 min
- A62 motorwayBordeaux – Toulouse, via Agen 40 min