A niftily restored, open-plan, beamed hayloft, just the ticket for romantics, with gorgeous views of fields and open countryside

Glorious Elizabethan manor house lovingly furnished with exceptional art and antiques by its welcoming owners

Agriturismo at its best - delightful hosts, communal meals of superb home-grown food, homely rooms, a garden filled with fragrant flowers...

Philippe and Stéphanie give you delicious food and comfortable, colourful bedrooms in their ancient château with gardens and pool

A clutch of airy properties, most with their own jasmine-scented terraces arranged around a funky pool

A truly peaceful and charming hideout in a joyful, bird-filled setting - look after yourselves and retreat, or be thoroughly spoiled

Independent B&B with your own converted spaces sitting in a lovely garden with pool. Breakfast is served in the main house or on the terrace

A sleek, light-filled, beautifully designed, minimalist space for 4 with wrap-around views from the living room and pool

With stunning coastal views and family farm surroundings, these cottages are bright and roomy; plus wood-burning stoves and indoor pool

5 houses near Siena to make design-lovers happy; come for the rural solitude of ancient stone farm buildings with urban interiors

Beautiful cottages, donkey rides, a popular pool and restaurants to walk to. Dutch Peter knows all the walks in this heavenly valley!

A grand yet very homely place with tasty home cooking and 200 acres to explore. Play golf, sail, cycle – wonderfully informal

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

One of the loveliest houses in a very lovely village. Pretty rooms have parquet floors and white walls, the food is a delight

An ancient stone cottage on an organic winery with vines as far as the eye can see, chickens wandering, horses grazing and huge open skies

Once a hunting lodge, this unique and authentic 18th-century architectural folly sits up a quiet tree-lined drive on the edge of the estate

A rustic haven in Vouvray wine country: bask on sun beds near the elegant pool, cosy up to the wood-burner, relax in your beautiful bedroom

A lovingly restored ancient farmhouse surrounded by wildlife-rich countryside just two miles from stunning beaches – a place to mend