La Toile Sous Les Étoiles

Auzances is five minutes' drive away, a small village with all the amenities of a small city: three bakeries, butcher, supermarket, pharmacy plus various eateries and bars. It’s 40 minutes from the site to Aubusson, a UNESCO-listed heritage site due to its long association with fine tapestries stretching back to the 15th century. There’s a pair of museums devoted to the industry, plus workshops and galleries all over the town, and plenty of opportunities to spend more than you should on a rug. The town’s Aquasud indoor pool complex is to hand for a relaxing finale or interlude, with slides, a spa and a Turkish hammam: lose yourself in the steam and stop thinking about how much you spent... For outdoor antics, advance on Sioule (50 minutes), a leisure activity centre amid the forested gorges of the Massif central with hikes and bike trails (hire electric ones for an easy ride uphill), canoeing and kayaking the Sioule river, swimming and fishing. There's more of this classic combo to be found, and on a grander scale, at the thickly forested Lac de Vassivière, an hour and 15 minutes away with beaches, zipwires and laser tag.