Auvergne Rhône-Alpes

Living and buying property in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

From the Auvergne’s volcanic landscapes to Alpine lakes, Lyon neighbourhoods and Drôme villages, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes offers markedly different settings for a home. A city apartment, country house and mountain property each serve a different idea of life in France.

Exploring the departments separately is a useful first step. It helps connect the surroundings you enjoy with the practical shape of a permanent move or a holiday-home search.

Explore the departments

Ain
Ponds, farmland and the rising slopes of the Bugey give the Ain a varied landscape. It lies between the Lyon area and the Swiss border, so a property search here can mean a country home in Bresse, a village base in the Dombes or a permanent home in the Pays de Gex.

Allier
The Allier combines the farmland of the Bourbonnais with three distinctive towns: Moulins, Montluçon and Vichy. Riverside walks, village markets and handsome older buildings give buyers several ways to settle into this part of central France.

Ardèche
From the Rhône valley to the villages of the south, the Ardèche offers country homes in a landscape of hills, rivers and stone-built settlements. Privas, Aubenas and Tournon-sur-Rhône provide useful reference points, but the character of a property often comes from its particular valley or village.

Cantal
Volcanic hills, pastureland and stone villages give the Cantal a strong sense of place. Aurillac, Saint-Flour and Mauriac are natural starting points for buyers drawn to the countryside and mountains of the Auvergne, whether for a permanent home or time away with family.

Drôme
The Drôme moves from the Rhône valley to the Vercors and the more southern landscapes around Nyons. Valence and Montélimar provide town life, while smaller settlements offer a choice of village houses and country properties for holidays or a permanent move.

Isère
Grenoble, Alpine valleys and the plains of northern Isère offer very different settings for a home. The department suits both buyers looking for city life beside the mountains and those seeking a village property or a base for regular mountain holidays.

Loire
This Loire department is centred on Saint-Étienne, Roanne and the Forez, rather than the château country further downstream. Its mix of towns, open plains and upland villages offers several starting points for a property search in central-eastern France.

Haute-Loire
The Haute-Loire brings together the landscapes of the Velay and the valleys of the Loire and Allier. Le Puy-en-Velay, Brioude and Yssingeaux offer different town bases, surrounded by stone villages and countryside that give local homes much of their character.

Puy-de-Dôme
Volcanic scenery is part of the identity of the Puy-de-Dôme, but the property choice extends well beyond mountain retreats. Clermont-Ferrand, historic towns and rural villages provide different ways to make a home in this part of the Auvergne.

Rhône
The Rhône offers vineyard landscapes, golden-stone villages and the hills of the Monts du Lyonnais. Villefranche-sur-Saône and Tarare provide starting points for exploring homes beyond neighbouring Lyon, from town apartments to village and country houses.

Savoie
The Lac du Bourget, Chambéry and the valleys of Tarentaise and Maurienne offer several ways to live in Savoie. A permanent home near town services, a lakeside apartment and a mountain holiday property are quite distinct possibilities within the same department.

Haute-Savoie
Lake Geneva, Lake Annecy and the Alpine valleys give Haute-Savoie a wide choice of settings. Annecy, Thonon-les-Bains and Annemasse provide different town bases, while mountain villages appeal to buyers who want outdoor activities to be part of their time in France.

Cities and the towns around them

Lyon, Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand and Saint-Étienne are important reference points, but each needs a neighbourhood-level approach. A central apartment, house in a neighbouring commune or home near a station will support different routines. Smaller towns broaden the choice and may introduce the garden or additional room that changes the direction of a search.

A base near lakes or mountains

Around Lakes Annecy and Bourget, in the Savoie valleys or the Auvergne mountains, the setting becomes part of the home’s appeal. A resort apartment may suit regular visits, while a house in a valley town offers a different base for permanent living. Choose which activities and services you would like nearby before narrowing the property type.

Country houses with a local identity

Bresse, Beaujolais, Ardèche, Bourbonnais and Drôme Provençale have distinct landscapes and building traditions. A farmhouse with outbuildings, stone village house and villa with a garden provide different ways to settle into them. Think about guests, working from home and time outdoors when defining the space you would use.

The Auvergne and the Alps offer different mountain settings

The volcanic landscapes of Puy-de-Dôme and Cantal are different from the valleys of Savoie and the villages of Haute-Savoie. Around Clermont-Ferrand, the hills can accompany urban life. In Cantal, a small-town house or former farm may provide a base for a more rural move. The Alps add the variety of resorts, valley towns and lakeside areas.

This distinction can broaden a search. Wanting mountains nearby does not necessarily mean buying a chalet at altitude. A house in a smaller town may offer shops, walks and a connection with the landscape that fits your plans equally well. Consider the seasons in which you would use the property before deciding on the setting.

Building traditions and the homes they create

The region brings together different architectural traditions. Stone houses in Ardèche villages, Bresse farm buildings, Beaujolais homes and Alpine chalets create distinct atmospheres. Contemporary properties also have their place, particularly in towns and residential areas.

For a buyer, these differences become useful when they translate into everyday space: a courtyard for guests, an outbuilding for a workshop, a terrace or an apartment with pleasing proportions. A building’s character matters most when it supports the life you want to lead inside and around it.

Focusing the first round of viewings

Choose a few areas that answer similar needs before arranging a broad itinerary. For permanent living, work, family and local services provide the first reference points. For holidays, the landscape, activities and guest accommodation may matter more. Comparing two or three coherent areas leaves time to explore their towns and villages and understand what each address would bring to the project.

For visits from abroad, check travel arrangements for the particular area rather than assuming one route serves the whole region. A property in northern Auvergne and a home in an Alpine valley may call for quite different journeys.

Your property search

Explore the properties offered by Sextant and refine your search by location, property type and budget. Share your plans with a property consultant to discuss the homes that interest you and the viewings you would like to arrange.