Weaving medieval magic, this dreamy hideaway is an ideal base for nature-loving gourmands to explore the region

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

A big, homely farmhouse on the Umbria/Tuscany border for family holidays filled with sunshine, outdoor frolics and good food

Feel right at home in a thatched farmhouse on South Pool Creek, with cottage garden views, great breakfasts and a good local pub

Rustic charm and homely hospitality – this 12th-century hideaway in a medieval village is perfect for slow days, wine and wandering

Great for comfort, beauty, character and home baking. Borrow vintage bikes to explore Cambridge: Christine knows it inside out

Spend restful days in a verdant garden, slip into the cooling pool, sip wine on your private balcony, stroll into arty Benissa

Spacious bedrooms, friendly hosts and a classic English country house in a peaceful hamlet with walks from the doorstep

A pub with rooms in the epicentre of London on trendy Westbourne Grove, a ten-minute stroll from Notting Hill

An enviable hideaway on a cobbled street high on a hill, with stunning views next to Galileo's house, the Villa Bardini and gardens

At the heart of fascinating Palermo, splendid aristocratic hosts welcome you to their historic family mansion filled with heirlooms

A modern take on an Iron Age roundhouse with stunning sea views in Scotland’s wild west, perfect for couples

Come for the gloriously peaceful countryside and this 1700s house and garden, scrupulously renovated and with plenty of space

A stone built 18th-century tower in a pretty valley dotted with fruit trees for quiet and relaxed days recuperating from life in the city

A cottage for two on a wonderfully eco wine school and vineyard. Gaze at magnificent views from your terrace

Play boules in the garden, swim in the natural pool and enjoy Monica’s wonderful cooking served with local wines at this village farmhouse

Bright, cosy cottage off the beaten track between the South Hams and Dartmoor, with good pubs nearby and an en suite ground-floor bedroom