Le Petit Part Glamping

Keen hikers will be chuffed to learn that the Grande Randonnée 6 walking trail from the Gironde to the Alps goes right past the site, while cyclists can enjoy the network of bike paths that criss-cross Limousin. You can also go fishing for carp at Alder Lake (20 minutes’ drive), try your hand at kayaking on the River Creuse (half an hour) or play a round of golf on the 18-hole course at Pouligny-Notre-Dame (10 minutes). If you’d care to sneak a little culture into your holiday timetable, head for the Valley of the Painters (35 minutes) to see the dramatic riverine scenery that inspired Impressionists painters such as Claude Monet. Alternatively, tour the grand manor house that once belonged to notorious 19th-century author George Sand (half an hour) to see period rooms liberally crammed with her belongings and the study in which she worked. If that sounds like too much hard work for the kids, take them banger racing on the track at Circuit de La Châtre (25 minutes), or surprise them with wild wolf encounters at Les Loups de Chabrières animal park (40 minutes).