Les Toiles du Cassis

While you’re staying in the Charente, don’t miss out on exploring historic Angoulême (25 minutes’ drive), where you can meander cobbled streets in Le Plateau district and admire masterly stained-glass in the treasury at the Romanesque-era cathedral. This is a foodie city too, so go foraging for local cheeses and foie gras at gourmet Marché des Halles, or pick up speciality macarons from smart delis. Another local bucket-list attraction is the formal water garden at Jardins du Logis de Forge (five minutes), which comes packed with Italian-style statuary, fountains and neat parterres backed by a photogenic château. There’s also the 10th-century Château de Cognac – with a centuries-old distillery attached to it – to tour in Cognac (25 minutes), where you can also taste local brandy at big-name cognac houses including Martell and Rémy Martin. If you’d prefer to be out and about in nature, try canoeing or paddleboarding on the Charente River (15 minutes), or take the more leisurely option and hire a motorboat to tootle downriver through leafy countryside instead.