Domaine de la Coronne

Active types hoping for a hike are well served around these parts, whatever level of difficulty you’re after. The lavender fields and forests around the site make for some leisurely strolls, while more intrepid folk can head into the Baronnies Provençales Natural Regional Park, 20 minutes’ drive away, for walks, horse riding, climbing and canyoning. More gentle leg-stretching can be done by wandering around some of the local historic sites. Renaissance-style Château de Grignan, 15 minutes away, and fortified Château de Suze-la-Rousse, 25 minutes away, are both worth a visit, as are the Roman sites of Vaison-la-Romaine and Orange, both of which are within a 40-minute drive. The crocodile farm in Pierrelatte, half an hour away, is usually a popular choice for the nippers; meanwhile, a fave with adults is the 35-kilometre Enclave des Papes wine route, which leaves from Valréas and takes in 13 wine cellars (best be trying them all in the interests of fairness, n’est-çe-pas?)