High in Ávila's unspoilt nature is this stylish, eco-brilliant family hotel: mountains, massages, pool, organic dinners... a special escape

Enfolded in gentle Dorset hills and surrounded by trees, a perfect wooden hut for 2 near beaches, River Cottage HQ and many beautiful walks

An idyllic hotel-restaurant in a postcard-pretty medieval village. Warm interiors, a varied menu of local produce, masses to see and do...

Immersed in nature, high in the magnificent Cheviot Hills, this wooden-clad off-grid cottage has sleek, modern interiors and grand views

A rather grand, opulent house with warm owners, interesting furniture and art and some fine Renaissance architectural elements intact

Magical for nature lovers, with wraparound views to the coastline of Skye. Inside: warmth, luxury and not a whisper from the wildest gale

You're only a whisper away from history in this family-run château, where rose gardens, sumptuous bedrooms and generous breakfasts wait

An important spot for this grand 19th-century château on the banks of the Loire, steeped in history and with kind, erudite owners

An unbelievably stunning setting for this renovated 15th-century villa with garden on a hillside overlooking the famed Florence skyline

Rooms are good value, breakfast is taken overlooking the garden and there's superb veggie food next door - a Sawday's Community Champion

A peaceful cottage for 2-4 between the Dales and the Moors, with swallows in the barn, an idyllic village, and a garden to explore

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

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

Near to the sea, surrounded by pristine vineyards and sheltered by the walls of an ancient farmhouse, you'll feel secluded from tourists

A fuss-free, informal place to stay with family - your own entrance straight from the garden and tasty breakfasts set up in a summer house

A fairytale château with ancient roots, now beautifully renovated with lovely bedrooms, terrace, garden and ponds for gracious living

Come to be doused in nature, tradition and rare Vino Santo at this soulful retreat, girded by orchards between the Dolomites and Lake Garda

Modern, timber-clad building attached to a Georgian stable block, for smooth lines, high ceilings and lots of light in glorious countryside