Châtillon sur Seine Property Insight

Châtillon-sur-Seine is a 5,837-inhabitant town located in the north of the Côte d’Or department, in Burgundy. The town is also called Chatillon and is the centre of the Pays Châtillonnais which gathers 113 communes of the north of the Côte d’Or department.

Overview

The town has a nice setting: it is situated in an area with many forests and received an award for being a flourished town at the French competition for ‘flourished towns’. Moreover, as its name suggests, the Seine River runs through Chatillon which is also listed as one of the most beautiful places of France (‘Plus beaux détours de France’).

Châtillon sur Seine was built around a stronghold, which has disappeared since then. People began to live in the Mont Lassois and moved later on to settle on the location of the actual town. Chatillon is definitely not to be missed given its historical heritage: the grave of a princess – Princesse de Vix - dating from 500 years BC was found there, as well as many vestiges from this period such as jewelery, crockery and a vase.

The art de vivre, beautiful landscapes, good local produce and rich heritage of Châtillon-sur-Seine make it famous throughout the region and France. Both French and foreign holiday makers visit the town every year. At the entrance door of the Champagne-Ardenne region, Chatillon has all the assets a town needs to seduce its visitors.

Châtillon sur Seine Immobilier and Property Market Trends

With an average price of €1,068 / square metre in May 2009, Châtillon sur Seine boasts a good property market in comparison with the area in general. Buying a property in the department of Côte d’Or costs about €2.386/sq m and the national average in 2009 is €3,200/sq m. In April 2009, it cost about €1,030 / square metre to invest in a house in Chatillon. The housing price has been decreasing since April 2008, going from €1,540 / square metre to the actual price.

The proportion of individual houses and apartments in the town is approximately the same: 49.3% against 46.2% and there are just a few more tenants than owners in Chatillon (49.6% against 46.2%). The great majority of dwellings are main homes, but there are still 9.5% of vacant properties. The area is quiet and has a fascinating history, the vineyards are probably the best setting ever for a second home in France, so buying a property in Chatillon is definitely a good investment given all these assets and the low prices available on the real estate market.

To get updated info about the property prices in Côte d’Or, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Châtillon sur Seine

• Monuments and museums: the musée du Châtillonnais is the most popular place of the town. Located in a mansion house, it houses pieces of art from Gallo-Romanesque, Celtic and Medieval periods. The whole history of Chatillon is recalled in this museum which is an actual jewel in terms of archaeology and houses the famous trésors de Vix... The Saint-Vorles church dates back to the 10th and 12th centuries. It is situated on the original location of the town where people already settled during the Antiquity. People can see the ruins of the castle of Dukes of Burgundy (13th c.) not far from this church. Saint-Nicolas church (12th c.), Cordeliers’ convent and hôtel du Congrès (mansion from the 17th c.) are some of the places of interest of the town.

• Nature and activities: the Châtillonnais houses the biggest forest of the Côte d’Or department. Thus, many activities can be practised within the area such as hiking, horse riding or fishing. Nature lovers can help appreciating the town and its surroundings which are perfect places for peaceful and relaxing moments with your family or some friends. The town is home to varied sport facilities, allowing people to play tennis, football, rugby or petanque for instance.

• Wines: located at the borders of the Champagne-Ardenne region, Châtillon-sur-Seine is home to a great vineyard which produces wines from very famous and fine grape varieties such as Pinot noir and Chardonnay. The renowned Crémant de Bourgogne comes from the area.

• Location – transport infrastructure: Châtillon is situated at the heart of an important road network and benefits from its proximity with the motorways A5 and A6. The town is located 83km from Dijon, 68km from Troyes (Aube, Champagne Ardenne), 83km from Auxerre (Yonne, Burgundy) and 234km from Paris. The French capital is reachable in 1h30 thanks to the TGV high speed train leaving from Montbard (33km from Chatillon). Another option is to reach Chatillon is to take the plane to Dijon’s airport and then hire a car or take a train.

• Surroundings: many towns or villages in the area around Châtillon are worth visiting. It is the case amongst others of the communes of Laignes, Rochefort, Vertault, Vix (and the Mont-Lassois), Villaines en Duesmois.

Property Styles and Architecture in Châtillon sur Seine

• Town houses: most of the time constructed with stone, town houses are located in the town centre as their name suggests. Their size may vary from a house to another, but they always offer several rooms and have a very practical layout. Town houses are situated close to all amenities (school, shops, supermarket, etc) and thus good for families. These properties can have several storeys or be single-storey houses. Town houses often come with a garden, garage, attic and/or cellar.

• Farmhouses: in the countryside, you can find numerous stone properties of large dimensions. Sometimes in need of renovation, farmhouses have a great value. They come with a large piece of land and outbuildings such as barns. Farmhouses offer great views over the countryside and in the area around Châtillon sur Seine over the vineyards. Inside the house, beams may be exposed and we can find stone walls, which definitely give character to the property. Farmhouses are very sought-after and the area has many properties of this kind to offer.

• Apartments: half of the dwellings in Chatillon are apartments. They can belong to buildings with this kind of properties only or be parts of houses which were converted into apartments or studio flats. In the latter case, the apartments are often made of stone and have therefore a real authenticity.

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Bourgogne.