A serene riverside retreat on the Lot, with manicured gardens and a shared pool, tennis court and children's playground for socialising

Fall in love with this riverside village, lost in a valley in lower Normandy, and this sunny house for couples or families

A privately-owned cottage, full of interesting things, on tranquil farmland within the NT Stackpole Estate a 20-minute walk to the coast

A craft brewery in Italy? What a wonderful surprise! Three explorer-themed rooms, a brewpub, pizzeria, pool, cookery classes and events

Vast house on an ancient Roman site with big terraced garden and pool. Grand yet homely, with air-con, spa and only 8 km to the city

In pretty Vernon, a peaceful and comfortably large townhouse with roses rambling around the door

A lovely big house with huge riverside gardens and an easy-going charm – a 15-minute walk from bookish Hay-on-Wye

Bountiful breakfasts, the warmest of owners and Breton adventures. Enjoy romantic ruins, quaint villages and delicious seafood suppers

Welcome to a cosy, country-rustic bolthole for four, in a friendly, community village inn, with some of the best food in Shropshire

A warm, comfortable and light-filled 1800s cottage with south-facing garden and absolutely wonderful views over the Kyles of Bute

Blissful tranquillity - yet an easy drive from St Paul de Vence (legendary haunt of Matisse and Picasso) and 10km from the Riviera

Character and quirk in old and new design and furnishing – private terraces, a shared pool, great walking, cycling and wine-tasting

Beautiful Noto is 4 miles from the Ionian Sea, and this creative renovation, with lush garden, stands above the throng. Heaven in Sicily

An elegant, historical building in the heart of Catania - an intimate hotel, yet grand with gorgeous architecture and a wonderful welcome

A gorgeous big old house on a farm in a very quiet part of Wiltshire - the undiscovered North Wessex Downs, filled with wildlife and an AONB

Traditional Provencal farmhouse with a large garden and a swimming pool. Historic villages with markets and great restaurants close by

An artist's house imbued with an understated elegance. Stay for dinner; be charmed by the garden where fruit trees throng, hens loiter

An incredible living museum, dedicated to the history of Sicily and the arts. Stay in the main house or in a cottage in the fecund garden