Designed with style and comfort, peaceful, sophisticated and serene with countryside views. And you have your own lovely pool

A B&B with a soul, walks to thrill the heart. In these peaceful hills northwest of Como, views challenge you to keep your eyes on the road

Come for gloriously independent B&B in your own cosy retreat with a belter of a breakfast brought to your door and plenty of local walks

A striking 19th-century landmark deep in ancient woodland, reborn as a pub with beautifully restored rooms just a short hop from London

A grand spot for walkers, cyclists and nature lovers - this warm, informal B&B gives you very comfortable rooms and delicious breakfasts

Special back-to-nature, stargazing loft for couples and families, on a nature-filled estate in Piedmont

Come for huge skies, birds and wildlife, rare flora and fauna, precious pingo ponds and a comforting retreat from the hectic whirl

Glorious views of Derwentwater and Skiddaw from this comfortable house. Art dotted about, a big table for chatty meals and a pretty garden

Small country hotel in a riverside setting near Giverny, with a superb restaurant and a charming village a few minutes’ walk away

A gorgeous house, beautifully refurbished in contemporary style, with chic interiors and a swimming pool in a sublime English garden

With a sauna in the woods and a Nordic bath by the lake, these carefully renovated farm buildings are a lovely slow-living retreat

Enjoy fields of lavender and vines as far as the eye can see from this neat cottage, sharing a pool and gorgeous gardens with other guests

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

Tranquil stone house with a rustic feel, a large garden with a swimming pool and views of the French Riviera and out to sea

A most enchanting and welcoming Provençal mas sitting in acres of private parkland with woods, meadows and a small lake for magical stays

A super upside-down house perched on a cliff in bustling Saundersfoot with glorious views over the beach and the Atlantic

A fortified castle in parkland, built mostly in the 1300s on the Montbazens plateau, near to the stunning Averyon gorges