It's steeped in history and a joy to visit. Explore the vast pistes of Les Portes du Soleil... return to log fires and house-party dinners

An ancient building filled with beauty and sitting in the quietest SSSI valley, criss-crossed by medieval drove ways buzzing with wildlife

A treat in any season, a place to stir your soul, yield to nature and learn how to play again - with a pretty fine roost to come home to

Quaint barns dotted among truffle oaks and rosemary, each one constructed the old-fashioned way and close to the Dordogne and Vézère

In the National Park with all its glories (Ashbourne for antiques, Chatsworth for history, Bakewell for its market), a sweet village cottage

Fabulous bakes and hot waffles at breakfast, green fields all around and Normandy steeped in history. Great for foodies and historians

A fascinating place steeped in history and abuzz with prize-winning winery activity. Plus rustic cottages, golf, a restaurant and 2 pools

Anouk & Gilles have fine-tuned their welcome. Lounge by the pool and dine exquisitely within their landscaped park

Deep in the Wye Valley you’ll find wild swimming, kayaking and down-time. This cottage is a spacious yet cosy base for any adventure

A peaceful grown-up place circled by meadows and woodland with helpful owners next door – a superb spot to explore the south-west

Return to warming fires after hiking in Ireland's highest mountains. Two traditional cottages on the outskirts of pretty Killorglin

Converted stables on a fruitful and beautiful estate with gardens, sculpture walks, wildflower meadows and a farm-to-fork restaurant

An exquisitely restored 500-year-old inn, where the accent is very much on food, reared and grown nearby and with very comfortable rooms

If you want to come to Venice as an open-hearted traveller rather than a tourist then this is the place for you - just walk to everything

A detached 1960s house in a fabulous position with beautiful views over the mountains and plenty of space for walkers and skiers

Come for peace and quiet down a long lane, pretty buildings and big, beautifully-kept gardens with a secluded outdoor pool

Peace, space and sophisticated living at a serene villa-apartment in the hills above Cannes