A 17th-century townhouse sitting on a quiet side street with lots of original features and a west-facing patio screened by vines and lemons

A 17th-century stone mansion within the ancient walls of Avignon. Walk to cafes, watch the shows at the Festival, chat with convivial hosts

A dramatic house with stylish interiors – designed to bring the outdoors in so you feel wrapped in nature. Great for families or friends

A honey-stone 1800s house, sitting pretty in acres of fields and woodlands, with a pool, lovely gardens and a separate cottage next door

A cracking English inn with open fires, great food, gorgeous rooms, happy staff, lovely gardens and well-kept English ales

A gentle, calm, immaculate place for an all-season family stay, near wine tastings, castles, caves and canoeing. Everyone loves the Dordogne

This deeply peaceful retreat will soothe the soul; come to walk, bike, sail then back to a roaring fire and good book. A sublime spot

Beauty, charm and tranquillity an hour from Florence, on a bio-sensitive farm known for Chianina cattle and white truffles

Top-notch apartments in the heart of old Jérez for couples and families on the bodega trail. A daily market in town and fab beaches near by

Visit Florence, Arezzo, Siena… or revel in the beauty and peace of Casa Zia, surrounded by wilderness and lovely birdsong

Surrounded by its vineyards, a Tuscan villa for a memorable, stylish treat of a stay - a sophisticated décor and opulence at every turn

Stay in the grounds of a 19th-century château turned family home, where 500-year-old oak trees shade a glorious garden

Between Penzance & Helston, close to Praa Sands, is a beautiful bolthole for 6. Good for garden lovers & peace-seekers – dog-friendly too

A Renaissance farmhouse in a secret Welsh valley with a stunning garden. Sleep under soaring beams, enjoy peace and warm hospitality

An entire literary estate on the Brittany coast, with a trio of restored houses, fabulous gardens and a private path to the beach

Gorgeous rooms and splendid breakfasts – for sybarites, history-lovers, cyclists and canoeists - bang in the middle of ancient Long Melford

A serene retreat in a residential area of Ragusa, with the historic centre just a short distance. Enjoy pool, spa and gardens

A 19th-century bothy in remote, rugged countryside on the edge of the Cairngorms, for walkers, birders and seekers of peace