Le Pré des Chênes

Start your local exploration in the bastide of Monpazier – it’s only a few minutes’ drive away and a fabulous place for a stroll through the historic fortified gates and around the medieval streets. For more of a taste of the area’s history, plan an outing to the impressive 16th-century Château de Biron (10 minutes’ drive) too. To spend time out in the open, there are plenty of walking trails around (including some leading from the site), and you can go fishing or walking at the lakes around Tourliac (five minutes). Getting out on the Dordogne river is a possibility too, with several canoe outfits about half an hour’s drive away, or you can view the world from above on the ziplines at Parc en Ciel (15 minutes). Evening outings? It’s time to explore local villages, where regular markets pop up in the summer for guests to buy local food and eat it at the long sociable tables – often meeting interesting folk along the way.