[slack alice]

Sorry for flooding the board tonight!

OK - I've decided Quillan is the place for me! I just need some general advice/local views about the area.

I have heard that it is a bit of an economic blackspot though, and I'm worried about crime. Is this reputation unjustified? It looks like such a beautiful and picturesque place! There must be a catch! (or not?)

Please let me know what you think, and once again, I'm sorry for flooding!

[dreamcatcher]

Just saying hi.You not flooding you just want to know about were you like to be.Dont know the area but sure that someone here will.

[slack alice]

Thankyou and Hi back!

[elaines]

We don't live there but did look at the area carefully on our house-hunt 2 years ago.

Whilst we appreciate that it is a pretty town with stunning scenery, the problem for us was it's remoteness.

Quillan is divided into two areas - what seems like derelict railway sidings - on the right side of the track the old town, and the "wrong" side of the track disadvantaged social housing.

It's far enough away from Carcassonne to be a pain in the butt to get there and so far from Perpignan that it's a double pain to get there. On the other hand, it is close to the Plateau de Sault, Les Angles and Camurac for the skiing and if you fancy going back in time, there's the Cathar castles and the Boulzane valley (but look out for those dualling banjos!).

Ultimately, Quillan is a community of and to itself, which is fine for some people (coming from Mull or Skye!!!) but others might consider the adage "small town; big hell".

If anyone knows of an on-line resource for criminality statistics between community, that might be handy?

We, in the end, settled on the charming medeival village of Fleury d'Aude which is on the coast between Narbonne and Beziers, ideal obviously for the beach, but close enough to all the major airports annd towns and with relatively easy access to the ski resorts.

[artemis]

Elaines, I know that this post was not for me but as we are researching where to live in France your post has been really helpful.

[elaines]

Artemis,

Glad to be of help.

I don't mean to sound so negative about Quillan, just realistic. We looked at over 60 houses all over the Aude over a period of 3 months (we lived here already so were able to get out and about every day in our quest), until we finally found something ideally suitable.

Until you live here, you cannot really appreciate the enormity of the Languedoc (as big as Wales) and how long it takes to get from one place to another. We only really looked in the Aude and that in itself was a mammoth task. We knew we didn't want to be isolated (we've got 3 children - now 13, 11 and 8) so we had to be in a community with all facilities (which, of course, Quillan does have) but we also didn't want to have to rely totally on the actual village itself, ie, we had to be able to get to more major towns and cities within at least 15 minutes (Narbonne and Beziers for us fit the bill nicely), although out own village of Fleury has everything you need on a day-to-day basis - even it's own community indoor swimming pool! Easy access to airports, beaches and mountains were a must for us (Fleury is situated at the foot of the Montagne du Clape - an area of designated natural beauty, but also on the coast, and close to the A9).

Everyone's needs are different but I advise anyone looking to buy a house
over here to think very carefully about how you plan to live your life here before making the commitment. It's so easy to fall in love with a house/pretty village/surrounding scenery and to let your heart rule your head. You have to be practical, and remember, buying and selling in France is a costly business - agency fees of up to 10% and notaire's fees of approx. 7% to begin with, so if you make a mistake, it'll be an expensive one!

[treskillard]

Originally Posted by slack alice Sorry for flooding the board tonight! OK - I've decided Quillan is the place for me! I just need some general advice/local views about the area. I have heard that it is a bit of an economic blackspot though, and I'm worried about crime. Is this reputation unjustified? It looks like such a beautiful and picturesque place! There must be a catch! (or not?) Please let me know what you think, and once again, I'm sorry for flooding!

Hi SA,
I have never heard about a high incidence of crime in Quillan although you are right about it being an economic blackspot. It was a reasonably wealthy town at one time supported by a national program of manufacturing decentralization that led to the implantation of a huge Formica factory. This closed bit by bit with the last remnants disappearing a few years ago. At the time it had a famous Rugby team and was a national center for sports training. It does seem to have quite a lot of older people there now and certainly has that feel of a mountain town a bit cut off. It has become popular over the past few years with British people and on the market day (wednesday) there are a good number around. There's even a free book and video/dvd exchange stall on the market run for and by British people. They say (the French) that there are anywhere between 150-200 British people living there out of a population of 2,500. Not all of them all the year by any means.

It is really beautiful in Quillan. I've not even seen the 'other side of the tracks' (thanks to elaines post I'll take a look - get mugged - and let you know) which is not surprising as all I've done is visit on market day so far. It is really stunning situation in a bowl of the mountains. It is just in the mountains though, don't forget that so it has the advantages and disadvantages of that. It is some distance from Carcassonne (about 45 mins) but there is a train line which is rare in rural France. It is also near one of France's great 'alternative' areas (6 miles to the north) which means that the area has other entertainments that are not on offer in more sedate areas (yoga and meditation through to radical theatre and straw house building passing through the madness of the 'Da Vinci code lot as Rennes Le Chateau is nearby).

Also the town is popular with the British because property does seem pretty cheap there (due to isolation maybe) and I recall from your first post that you are working with a limited budget. So while it has drawbacks it also has some very positive points to it. The British people who are there don't seem to be rushing to leave so the whole crime idea could be a rumour. Rural France is modernizing and everywhere I go I hear French people worrying about change and crime.

There are good villages around too. But it is miles from the sea. About 2 hours.

[Tweedpipe]

Originally Posted by slack alice Sorry for flooding the board tonight! OK - I've decided Quillan is the place for me! I just need some general advice/local views about the area. I have heard that it is a bit of an economic blackspot though, and I'm worried about crime. Is this reputation unjustified? It looks like such a beautiful and picturesque place! There must be a catch! (or not?) Please let me know what you think, and once again, I'm sorry for flooding!

Hello SA,
Yes I know Quillan, having spent several Saturdays walking around the town. Although the weather was fine on both occasions, I can't say I actually 'warmed' to the place, in fact I found it rather depressing, and personally would not call it beautiful or picturesque. But it must be said that there is a fine restaurant there, which we have returned to several times. Unable to comment on the alleged 'crime' situation.
A very short drive away is Esperaza which I find to be a very quaint, small town on the banks of the river Aude (as is Quillan), with a very interesting weekend outdoor market. I recall hearing English being spoken a fair amount on each visit to Esperaza.
I found nearby Alet-les-Bains equally interesting & picturesque - well worth a visit, I could easily live there, but alas not in Quillan.
We are located in the Tarn incidently & periodically visit family in Esperaza.
Good luck with your future plans.

[treskillard]

Originally Posted by Tweedpipe Hello SA, Yes I know Quillan, having spent several Saturdays walking around the town. Although the weather was fine on both occasions, I can't say I actually 'warmed' to the place, in fact I found it rather depressing, and personally would not call it beautiful or picturesque. But it must be said that there is a fine restaurant there, which we have returned to several times. Unable to comment on the alleged 'crime' situation. A very short drive away is Esperaza which I find to be a very quaint, small town on the banks of the river Aude (as is Quillan), with a very interesting weekend outdoor market. I recall hearing English being spoken a fair amount on each visit to Esperaza. I found nearby Alet-les-Bains equally interesting & picturesque - well worth a visit, I could easily live there, but alas not in Quillan. We are located in the Tarn incidently & periodically visit family in Esperaza. Good luck with your future plans.

Esperaza is economically a bit of a sad place too. It used to be full of hat factories employing 1000nds in their heyday. I heard that as late as the 1970s there were still 400 people employed. Now nothing. It does have a reputed Sunday morning market thats for sure. The old town of Quillan is very picturesque though - didn't you see it? Personally I'd go out into the sticks and not live in either of them. Just come shopping.

[Wishywashy]

Hi SA, and all people who have commented so far. I am a new subscriber to this forum but not a newcomer to Quillan. I think all the comments so far are very fair. I live in the Corbieres about 40 minutes from Quillan on the D613. If you like mountains then this is the place for you. We also used to take our holidays near the coast at Fleury where Elaines is now based. Both areas are lovely but we decided to retire to the foothills of the Pyrenees to avoid the extreme heat in the summers on the coastal plain. We also do not need to be near the beach as we do not have our son with us all the time.....he is more interested in the nightlife now anyway......!!
Quillan is one of our nearest large towns and we need to come 'down the mountain' to go shopping there. It is well equipped, even with a small hospital with emergency department. The market is good and great for meeting friends from other remote villages.
We prefer the sunday market in Esperaza as it is around a village square and more friendly.
Even though Quillan is slightly lower than our home village we find the frost lingers longer along the Haute Vallee where Quillan is situated. We left our high village once in February and the frost had already started to clear in the morning sun but when we drove along the main road from Esperaza to Quillan the frost was still about a quarter of an inch thick on the branches and when we returned at about 3pm it was still there. If I was ever on my own and could not cope with chopping wood and living in the wilds I would move down to the Quillan area, maybe closer to Esperaza. I lovethe backdrop of the Pyrenees behind the whole of Quillan, really spectacular, which is another reason why we chose not to live near the coast.
Happy house hunting, I am sure you will find your ideal place soon.

[artemis]

Hi there wishywashy, we were near your area in august. We visited Leucate beach often which was fantastic, but I have to say everywhere seemed so deserted as soon as you left a town. Do you mind me asking whether you find 'enough to do' on your mountain? Do you live within a community and is it less dry in the mountains?

[Wishywashy]

Hi Artemis, I am a retired artist and have never been so busy. I am not a person for cinemas or discos but we certainly find enough to do out here.
We have a large network of ex-pat and French friends and some have married out here, young and old, everyone organises events and meals to which we contribute. Our village is very small and we have been accepted here, I have been persuaded to stand for election to the local council. We are still renovating our mill and that takes up a lot of our time.
The Languedoc Rousillon is the least populated area of France and in particular the area in which we live. This is what we wanted and what we now love and wouldn't change. If we want night life we can go to Narbonne or Carcassone. We have been to the opera several times in Barcelona which is only a few hours away by car. So I think we are ideally situated at the moment. When we get older maybe we will not want to live in such an isolated place, and there will come a time when we cannot chop wood etc. but then I could only ever imagine moving into the village, not to a big town.
What more can I say?

[treskillard]

Originally Posted by Wishywashy Hi Artemis, I am a retired artist and have never been so busy. I am not a person for cinemas or discos but we certainly find enough to do out here. We have a large network of ex-pat and French friends and some have married out here, young and old, everyone organises events and meals to which we contribute. Our village is very small and we have been accepted here, I have been persuaded to stand for election to the local council. We are still renovating our mill and that takes up a lot of our time. The Languedoc Rousillon is the least populated area of France and in particular the area in which we live. This is what we wanted and what we now love and wouldn't change. If we want night life we can go to Narbonne or Carcassone. We have been to the opera several times in Barcelona which is only a few hours away by car. So I think we are ideally situated at the moment. When we get older maybe we will not want to live in such an isolated place, and there will come a time when we cannot chop wood etc. but then I could only ever imagine moving into the village, not to a big town. What more can I say?

Sounds sorted to me.
T

[artemis]

Hi wishywashy, your life sounds absolutely lovely! It is great to know that a Brit was living happily in the mountains that we passed on our way to the beach. As you say you are so near Spain too. How lovely too that your local community have accepted you. all the best.