Nièvre is a rural department in the centre of France located in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region with a contrast between the countryside around the Loire river and the high hills of the Morvan plateau in the east The population of the department is falling mainly due to changes in agriculture but also because of economic shifts which have hit some small manufacturing businesses established in the area the population fell below 200,000 for the first time according to the national statistics agency Insee which also highlighted that most people moving from Nièvre go to neighbouring departments Read more: 1,100 estate agents shut down in year due to French property slowdown there is a continuing drive to develop tourism which in Morvan accounts for more than 6% of the working population.  Famously the department is home to the motor racing track Nevers Magny-Cours where the French Grand Prix was held between 1991 and 2008 the sound of the V12 motors were heard as far as 40km away Recently much public debate has been over plans to install 60 photovoltaic power plants on farms in the department seen by some farmers as an important source of revenue and others as blots on the landscape and a tourism killer starts at the prefecture Nevers in the west of the department and runs north taking just under three hours to reach Paris the mainline between Paris and Clermont-Ferrand stops at Nevers and should reach the capital in 2hrs30 although delays and underinvestment on the line have made it a political hot potato.  while in the north a TER line from Corbigny links with lines running north towards Paris Nièvre has long been a favourite place for Parisians to have holiday homes show 14% of houses are second homes – in some small rural communes half the properties are second homes For people looking for rural houses at low prices and who are not afraid of doing some work themselves with not-too-bad roofs and decent-sized land around them It will need some cleaning before it is possible to camp in the old stone-built farmhouse dating from 1869 in the commune of Garchy near the famous vineyards of Pouilly-sur-Loire but for €33,500 you will have 100m2 of living space with an attached – roofless – barn where one wall will need to be rebuilt Or you could live in the 40m2 separate house with a roof described as “correct” as you do the big work There are two vaulted cellars under the house and 2,000m2 of land, with the option to buy neighbouring 3,300 m2 plots where it should be possible to build. See: parlezmoidimmo.fr Ref:  448802525 For €142,500 you can buy two stone-built houses on the same plot of land in what is described as a calm hamlet in the woods of La Chapelle-Saint-André in the north of the department the main house has been renovated and has three bedrooms Each house has its own electricity, water meter and septic tank, so it is possible to live in one and rent out the other, if desired. See: seloger.com this five-hectare property has a 17th-Century chateau at its heart dining room and kitchen on the ground floor and six bedrooms with two bathrooms above.  possibly dating from when the chateau was built The bathrooms are incorporated into the towers  There is also a two-bedroom groundkeeper's cottage and a large barn divided into stables, a log store and garage. The buildings are in an enclosed garden of a hectare, mainly lawn. The rest of the land is pasture. See: patrice-besse.com Ref 660363 This small department on the German border is home to the historic city of Strasbourg French succession laws can qffect inheritance of property from a step-parent Couple may sue French council over drainage issues in their bargain property View upcoming auction estimates and receive personalized email alerts for the artists you follow Inspired by the landscapes of the French masters Elger Esser captures the brooding seascapes and bucolic country scenes of his beloved countryside – with timeless results This compact but rich show delves into the many facets and meanings of water as represented in the past 400 years of art history an elemental substance that gives life and shapes landscapes takes center stage in a new exhibition at the Arp Museum titled Im Fluss (“In Flow”)