Sedan Property Insight

Sedan is located in the north of the Ardennes department, in Champagne Ardenne. It accounts for about 22,500 inhabitants called the Sedanais. It is renowned for its impressive castle dating from the 15th century built on a rock spur at the edge of the forest.

Overview

Sedan is a ‘town of Art and History’ boasting a great medieval centre around its castle. This area of the town is considered as one of the most beautiful in terms of architecture between the 17th and the 19th centuries. Sedan’s stronghold is the vastest one in Europe! As the neighbouring town of Charleville Mézières, Sedan has been an importance place for military architecture, being located between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire.

During the religion wars in France, many Protestants came to live in the town: lawyers, craftsmen, intellectuals amongst others played a major role in the prosperity of Sedan at that time. In 1870, Napoleon lost a battle against the Prussian and German troops in Sedan.

Sedan is situated on the banks of the Meuse River, only 15km from the Belgian frontier and the administrative centre of the Ardennes department, Charleville-Mézières. The border town in Belgium is Bouillon.

Sedan Immobilier & Property Market Trends

Property prices are really affordable in the town of Sedan: the average price for a property to buy there in May 2009 was €1,273 / square metre. An apartment cost about €1,133 / square metre and a house €1,309 / square metre. On the period March 2008-February 2009, the price for apartments in the town was comprised between €750 / square metre and €1,020 / square metre. Houses are sold at different prices: €76,400 for a 3-room house, €95,500 for a 4-room one, €128,700 for a 5-room one and €159,000 for a 6-room one, the average being €114,500.

70% of the properties in Sedan are apartments and more than 71% of the inhabitants do not own their property. The proportion of detached houses is important: 91.6% against only 1.4% of second homes and 7% of vacant properties. Sedan is a nice town which benefits from a pleasant lifestyle and has many assets. Do not wait any longer and invest in a property in this town!

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

5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Sedan

• Castle and medieval heritage: Sedan is labeled ‘town of Art and History’. As said above, it is very famous for its outstanding castle. The monument was built by Evrard III de la Marck from 1424. It was extended many times during the following centuries. The fortress covers an area of 35,000 square metres and has seven floors. Sedan’s castle is definitely a tourist hot spot in the Ardennes department. Nowadays, it houses the tourism office of the town and a 3-star hotel. There is also a museum inside the fortress.

• Monuments: apart from the castle, Sedan is also home to some interesting monuments such as the Palace of Princes, Saint-Charles Borromée church, Protestant temple, synagogue, Dijonval (former royal sheet factory) and war memorial on the square of Alsace-Lorraine.

• Events and activities: from a medieval festival to a festival called ‘Guitare et Patrimoine going through an international meeting of model makers and an important commercial fair, Sedan offers a lively cultural life all year round. Moreover, about 150 clubs contribute in developing the cultural and sports life. About 35 different sports can be practised in the town: football, handball, tennis, hickey, etc. With the forest at the doors of the town, hiking, riding a horse or a mountain bike are just a few examples of possible activities to do when visiting Sedan.

• Return on investment: being close to big European cities and having a great historical heritage, Sedan benefits from the craze of investors. As property prices are really affordable and the area easily accessible by road or train, it is definitely worth investing in Sedan. What about buying a property in this nice setting and enjoy the French art de vivre in the historical town of Sedan?!

• Location – transport infrasructure: Sedan has the chance to be situated less than two hours from major European cities such as Paris, Luxembourg or Brussels. There are daily TGV high speed trains from and to Paris (2h) and many regional trains linking to Reims or Charleville-Mézières. Sedan benefits from the LGV Est Européen which is a high speed TGV network connecting Paris to the major cities of eastern Europe in Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland.

Property Styles and Architecture in Sedan

• Stone houses: there are many detached or attached houses constructed in stone in Sedan. They have large dimensions and come with many rooms as well as a garden and a garage, sometimes a cellar and a convertible attic, allowing thus possible extensions. Located in the town centre, these stone houses are full of charm and character.

• Apartments: as said above, more than 70% of the properties in Sedan are apartments or studio flats. The choice is therefore wide and we can fin all kinds of apartments, from small studio flats located in buildings to 6-room apartments belonging to housing estates...

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Champagne Ardenne.