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Dept 71: Savoie

Prefecture: Chambéry

Other main towns: Aix-les-Bains, Albertville, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne

Some 90% of land in Savoie is classified as mountainous. Before the arrival of skiing as a major industry, the population could be found living cheek by jowl in villages in the valleys and main trade routes.

Aix-les-Bains on Lac du Bourget, the deepest lake entirely in France, however, has been a popular spa resort long before anyone thought of strapping wooden planks on their feet and rushing downhill for fun.

Savoie only became part of France, along with Nice, in 1860 as part of the shake up of the unification of Italy, and in some valleys the old patois is closer to Italian than to French.

The attraction of the ski slopes and the long established trade routes through the Alpes meant the prefecture, Chambéry, was one of the first provincial towns to be joined to the TGV rail network.

Once a hive of radical plotting against the dukes of Savoy, it is now at the centre of a metropolitan area with a population of 260,000, over half that of the entire department.

Albertville, a subprefecture, hosted the 1992 Winter Olympics and the infrastructure still in place helped ensure that the ‘Combined French Alps’ bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics was a success. Many predict the Games will have a positive effect on property prices in the region.

Savoie is on the autoroute network, with the A43 linking Lyon and Chambéry before taking a zigzag around mountains to head to Turin. Roads here are often spectacular, with mountain views, tunnels and galleries to hopefully protect against falling rocks.

The airport of Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc serves a large number of UK destinations.

The population of around 440,000 doubles during peak skiing season, with purpose-built resorts absorbing most of the visitors. People selling Paris flats for good money make up many of the incomers, with typical prices for homes in mountain communes around the €400,000 mark.

There are cheaper alternatives – even if €40,000 for an isolated 80m² barn with uncertain planning permission is still on the high side compared to other French regions.

Properties in Savoie

Under €50,000

It is just a small 80m² building at the end of a dirt track, and you will probably have to work with the municipal council in Saint-Thibaud-de-Couz to get planning permission for a conversion, but this barn with an asking price of €39,500 has a stunning setting.

The roof timbers seem in reasonable condition, and one side of the roof is corrugated steel. The other has what looks like a waterproof membrane under the slates, so the wind, rain and snow should not have weakened the structure.

With a lot of work it could make a beautiful home.

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Under €250,000

With an asking price of €200,000, this house on the hills above the commune of Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny is semi-detached, with neighbours sharing the back wall of the house.

Its 116m² living space comprises three bedrooms. There is also a small courtyard and an old barn, which has been converted into a two-car garage and workshop.

The property’s two balconies offer splendid views over the mountains.

Another selling point is the 300m² vegetable garden, just 100 metres away – a rare luxury in crowded French mountain villages.

The oil-fired central heating dates from 1992, and the wallpaper probably long before that, but the house can be lived in straight away.

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Over €1million

Unlike most of the expensive chalets on offer in Savoie, this five-bedroomed one is built of stone rather than wood.

It is on the market for €1,260,000 and seems to have been sympathetically restored. Care has been taken to retain many of the old features, including the enormous oak beams.

It was built facing south, getting the most out of the sun, and boasts 186m² of living space.

At the time of its construction, the ski resorts of Tignes and Val d’Isere were probably no more than quaint villages – now it is equidistant between them with access to Tignes in just five minutes.

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