Camping de l'Etang du Merle

Those with an eye for pretty things should certainly take a trip to Nevers (40 minutes’ drive), for its excellent fine arts and porcelain museum, and have a trot around its castle and cathedral. Other châteaux nearby include those in Bazoches (45 minutes) and Castellux (an hour). There’s a rather fine collection to peruse at the François Mitterand museum in Château-Chinon (40 minutes) too: all the splendid pieces here were gifts to the ex-president from around the globe. Folks who know a few things about motor racing may have perked up their ears at the mention of Nevers: it’s just a little further (45 minutes) to the racing circuit at Nevers-Magny, where a top-notch programme of car and motorbike races takes place throughout the year. If you’d like your activities with a more scenic green backdrop, head to Lac des Settons (an hour away) for watersports, climbing and mountain biking, head into the Morvan Regional Natural Park for rafting trips (50 minutes) or climb up into the treetops at Les Z’Accrochés adventure park (half an hour).