Prefer for your French home to be somewhere off the beaten track and away from other Brits? We introduce you to two picturesque pockets of France, one in the south and the other the east, that have some of the lowest registered populations of expats. If either takes your fancy, once you’ve been wowed by the low prices, it could be worth learning the local lingo…

Fall in love with Lozère!
The south of France might be famous for its chic beach resorts and Mediterranean lifestyle, but believe it or not, it’s also home to one of the least known, least developed and least populated departments in the country.

We’re talking about unspoilt Lozère in the north of the Languedoc, nestled in the south-eastern corner of France’s scenic Massif Central.

A paradise for nature-lovers and named after a local mountain, Lozère includes large parts of both the Aubrac regional park and UNESCO designated Cévennes national park (main picture). Wild mountain ranges – there are four in total, including towering granite peaks and barren limestone outcrops – make up most of the landscape.

And you’re never far from a source of freshwater, a highlight being the Tarn river and dramatic Tarn, Jonte and Dourbie gorges.

The exciting natural scenery means outdoorsy types should never get bored in Lozère. In fact, it’s really just one huge playground for hiking, horse-riding, mountain-biking and climbing – there are more than 950 climbing routes. Not forgetting the water-based activities on offer there, including kayaking, swimming, some of the best trout fishing in France, and even sailing and windsurfing on lakes, including those at Naussac and Villefort.

The regional centre is Mende, an ancient market town with a pretty old quarter and cathedral set on the banks of the Lot river and oozing rustic charm. Otherwise, Florac is a picturesque town with a château, located where three rivers meet near the Tarn gorge.

Other scenic villages or farming communities include Nasbinaid, Aumont-Aubrac, Fournels, Prinsuéjols, Recolles d’Aubrac and Arzenc-d’Apcher. Stone-built properties are the norm there, and you’ll find prices much more appealing compared to the more popular areas nearer the coast.

In heaven in Haute-Saône?
Over on the east side of France, not far north of the Alps, is another barely known department, which like Lozère boasts stunning rugged terrain, an abundance of rivers and lakes, and a small, predominantly rural population.

Called Haute-Saône and part of the Franche-Comté region, it is flanked by the Vosges massif to the north and the Jura mountains to the south, and is one of the most wooded areas of France. It forms part of France’s largest regional park, the Ballons des Vosges.

The main town is Vesoul, with its medieval centre and impressive stone architecture. A nearby attraction, just three kilometres away, is the 90-hectare Lake Vesoul-Vaivre, popular for water sports in the summer and bird-watching all year round.

Other small towns in Haute-Saône that might interest property-hunters are Lure, Luxueil-les-Bains (with its thermal baths), Gray and Héricourt. To get the full benefit of the department’s tranquillity and natural scenery, opt for a stone farmhouse or barn conversion in one of the rural communities.