Longwy Property Insight

Longwy is a French town located northeastern of France, in the Meurthe et Moselle department, in the Lorraine region. The pronunciation of the town is [lɔ̃wi], as French do not pronounce the ‘g’. The town gathers 15,000 inhabitants, called the Longoviciens. Longwy is mainly renowned for its earthenware industry, called the ‘Longwy’s enamels’. Longwy is also part of an agglomeration of 50,000 inhabitants very dynamic owing to its university centres.

Overview

When you mention Longwy you must talk about Vauban. He is said to be the most famous European military engineer. He spent 53 years of his life next to Louis XIV, he built 151 castles and fortified cities, and took part at more than 50 assaults. Longwy was of course built by Vauban and stands out amongst the 151 constructions, as it was one of the 9 cities built ex-nihilo. Indeed, Louis XIV had ordered the destruction of the former Longwy and the construction of another one, more protected and fortified in another place. As a result, the fortress was built according to a modern pattern.

Today the city is divided into three main parts: the High Longwy, which corresponds to Vauban new city, and which is listed as a UNESCO world heritage; Low Longwy, which is the administrative centre of the town and used to be very busy when Longwy was a large steel industry centre; and finally the Longwy-Gouraincourt, which used to be the working class quarter.

Longwy Immobilier & Property Market Trends

Since national average for house prices is around €3,200 /sq m in 2009, Longwy, with only €1,600 /sq m in April 2009 can be considered as a rather affordable area. However, it is important to notice that few months ago, in February 2009, prices did not reach €1,350 /sq m. Prices in April 2009 increased by 2%. Hence, Longwy is recovering from the real estate crisis, and after experiencing a sharp decrease in its prices, value of houses is starting to increase again. As a consequence if you want to invest in this lovely Lorrain town you would better hurry as prices are still very affordable and you would be able to drive interesting bargains, buying a property now and selling it in a couple of years.

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

4 Reasons to Buy a Property in Longwy

• Culture, art and historical heritage: Longwy is a very interesting town, as it was totally destroyed under Louis XIV orders and entirely rebuilt ex-nihilo by the European renowned engineer Vauban. Today you can still see vestiges of the fortified city, even though it was partly destroyed during world wars. Among other monuments, you can see of the 2 former doors, the French door, located south of the town, the other one was the Burgundy door and was located north of the town; the well in the middle of the main square, the only remaining one, out of 5. Around the town you can also see vestiges of many castles, some are in ruins, others have been transformed into colleges, private dwellings, museums, etc.

• Earthenware savoir faire: Longwy is renowned since the 18th century for its earthenware production. The traditional one is the blue pottery which you can see at the municipal museum of enamels.

• Natural environment: after being a very busy steel industry town during the 20th century, Longwy has nowadays got back its tranquillity and peacefulness. There are plenty of parks and gardens where you can go for a walk or just seat and enjoy nature. Around the town there are also some very nice walks to do. Located in the northern part of the Meurthe et Moselle department, the area offers green hilly landscapes, between valleys and colourful relief.

• Location: Longwy is located only 5kms from both the Belgium and the Luxemburg borders. Owing to its location, very close from its neighbours, the town has developed privileged links with both countries, and its culture and habits are also highly influenced by them. .

Property Styles and Architecture in Longwy

• Half-timbered houses: in Lorraine half-timbered houses often mix stones and wood structure. It evolved along centuries, from a mere wood structure to complicated decorative timber shapes at the time it disappeared (around 1850). Nowadays, in order to renovate beautiful houses that remain, people need to learn more about traditional architecture. You can find either renovated half-timbered houses (rather expensive), either houses that need renovation. It can be a good challenge if you enjoy renovating old houses, and you will buy the house at a low price.

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Lorraine.