Yellow jersey real estate: properties for sale near the 2015 Tour de France route

It’s Lycra time, as the Tour de France takes over picturesque mountain passes in France and late-night television screens in Australia. But the glute-fest isn’t just a celebration of cycling – it’s also a window on one of the most beautiful real estate markets in the world. So position your cleats, strap on your Stackhat and behold a selection of properties for sale near the 2015 Tour de France route. Ooh la la indeed.

Petit chateau, Amiens

A steal at €555,000 – about $820,000 – this pretty turreted petit chateau is situated in a valley on the edge of a village near Amiens in northern France. Among the original intact features are parquet and tiled floors, fireplaces and wood panelling. The four-bedroom building has about 280 square metres of living space, with potential to develop another 120 square metres on the second floor. The chateau is on nearly 1 hectare of enclosed grounds.

See the listing here.

Photos: propertiesdefrance.co.uk/Group Mercure Picardie

19th century townhouse, Rennes

Built around 1880, this hotel particulier or grand townhouse is situated on 2900 square metres of enclosed grounds near Rennes​, the capital of Brittany. The two-storey main building has five bedrooms and four reception rooms with parquet flooring, moulded plasterwork and sculpted marble fireplaces. The property also includes former stables and garages, a log store and restored greenhouse. It’s on the market for €1,078,000 or about $1.6 million.

See the listing here.

Photos: sifex.co.uk

Neo-classical chateau, Rennes

If you’ve ever wanted to own your own lake, look no further than this 1830s neo-classical petit chateau, also near Rennes. Set on 6.28 hectares, the three-storey chateau has seven bedrooms, as well as a grand reception room, entrance hall and several doors opening onto the sprawling grounds. The main rooms are ornately decorated, with wood paneling, marble fireplaces and oak parquet flooring. For sale for €980,000 (about $1.45 million).

See the listing here.

Photos: sifex.co.uk

Chateau with Pyrenees views, Pau

This majestic 19th century chateau near Pau in the south of France is about one hour’s drive from ski fields and about the same distance from the beaches of Biarritz. Set on 6.44 hectares and with views of the Pyrenees, the main building has 1350 square metres of living space, with 10 bedrooms, a large salon and dining room – both with coffered ceilings – as well as a domed conservatory. Outside, there’s a heated pool, gardens, woods and a meadow. It’s on the market for €2,240,000 or $3.31 million.

See the listing here.

Photos: sifex.co.uk

Chateau and guesthouse, Aveyron

Fit for a fairytale, this 14th century chateau on 1.65 hectares in the Midi-Pyrenees region of southern France has been recently restored, with new wiring and plumbing far superior to anything its original inhabitants enjoyed. The 12-bedroom chateau, about 40 minutes’ drive from Rodez, has 571 square metres of living space, including a vaulted chapel and wine cellar in the basement. There is also a swimming pool with vaulted steps, as well as a guesthouse, stables, barns, potting shed, granary, hayloft, laundry room and garages. It is on the market for €998,000 or about $1.47 million.

See the listing here.

Photos: sifex.co.uk

Luxury ski chalet, Alpe d’Huez

One of the top climbs in the Tour de France, Alpe d’Huez challenges riders with 21 hairpin bends on the way to the alpine village. This renovated luxury townhouse offers all the creature comforts required to soothe those saddle sores, not least of all an en-suite jacuzzi off the main bedroom. The gingerbread-style pine log home has four bedrooms, a cellar, pool room with bar and locker room for storing all that Lycra. Asking price is €1,275,000 or about $1.9 million. 

See the listing here.

Photos: Leggett

Luxury mansion apartment, Paris

It’s a short stroll from this apartment in an ornate mansion on Paris’s Avenue Van Dyck to the Champs-Elysees, where the Tour de France finishes each year. Built in 1870 in the style of the Second Empire for a French industrialist, the three-bedroom apartment on the first floor comprises has about 400 square metres of living space, with entry via a grand marble staircase. Impress your houseguests with magnificent views of the Parc Monceau, or just stay at home and admire your ceiling frescoes, ornate chandeliers and sculptures by Jules Dalou. For sale for €12,000,000 or about $17.7 million.

See the listing here.

Agent: Kyan Zare, Sotheby’s. Phone: +33 615 187 715

Photos: Proprietes Parisiennes Sotheby’s International Realty