Our top 5 countryside hotels

Do you love walks in the garrigues or the cool undergrowth? Do you swear by the peaceful landscapes of the Île-de-France or prefer the gentle hills of Burgundy? Don't worry, we've chosen five nature refuges across France to suit your every whim, with the added bonus of a secret, bucolic address in the heart of Paris. Book now...

The houses of Courances, Île-de-France

The Domaine de Courances is home to a magnificent Renaissance château, but the main reason to come here is to enjoy total immersion in exceptional natural surroundings - 86 hectares of gardens, forests and a huge organic kitchen garden where you can discover a thousand varieties of forgotten vegetables and fruit. The 10 rooms and suites, plus two apartments, have been fitted out in the estate's outbuildings, from the steward's house to the former tenant farm .

• Double room from 180 euros
• 1 Place du Général de Gaulle 91490 Courances. Tel 01 64 98 46 93
• www.domainedecourances.com

Domaine du Roncemay Chassy, Burgundy

Not far from Dijon, Domaine du Roncemay is a former hunting lodge nestled in 140 hectares of forests, ponds and flower-filled gardens. After long walks along the trails, you can recharge your batteries at the Recherche et Kos Paris organic spa, before returning to one of the 21 rooms and suites, decorated with a charming mix of contemporary furniture and vintage pieces. A special mention goes to the excellent gourmet restaurant and the bistro, which serve Burgundian cuisine with a twist.

• Double room from 287 euros
• Boisserelle, 89110 Chassy. Tel: 03 86 73 50 50
• www.roncemay.com

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Maison Ceronne, in the Perche region

Set at the top of a hill, this guest house combines two large longères with contemporary furnishings, an imposing fireplace and, above all, huge picture windows overlooking the estate where donkeys and ponies laze. Guests come to Maison Ceronne to hike or bike the trails through the Parc du Perche to the pretty town of Mortagne, before returning at dinnertime to enjoy excellent local cuisine based on produce from neighboring farms.

• Double room from 265 euros
• La Gilberdière 61380 Sainte-Ceronne-les-Mortagne. Tel: 07 63 54 71 17
• www.maisonceronne.com

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Mas.ReSource, in the Gard region

Just an hour from Avignon, Mas.ReSource nestles in 4 hectares of garrigue and lavender fields. You can set up home in one of the five guest rooms or two apartments in an old farmhouse that has kept its charms intact - exposed beams, stone walls and old floor tiles, all enhanced by works of art (photographs, collages, paintings...). You can then explore the hiking trails starting from the house, as well as the via ferrata and climbing routes in the nearby Cèze valley. And to prolong this immersion in nature, you can also spend the night in a large tent set up in the restanques, before enjoying a breakfast based on local produce.

• Double room from 210 euros
• 1328 Le Terme 30630 Montclus. Tel: 06 73 23 26 73
• www.masresource.fr

Mr Tripper

Souki Lodges, in Hérault

Just a stone's throw from the small village of Cabrières, between Pézenas and Montpellier, Fabien Morcel and Gilles Pascal have imagined these two lodges as Odes to nature, set in the heart of an estate of garrigue, vines and evergreen oaks. Conceived as luxurious refuges, each space in the Souki Lodges ' wood-clad walls opens onto the landscape through immense picture windows. Here, you can play the Robinson for a weekend, savoring breakfast in a basket at the lodge entrance before setting off to conquer the Vissy Peak. the nearby Pic Vissou or discover the Mourèze cirque and its hiking trails leading to the sumptuous Lac du Salagou.

• Lodge from 540 euros
• 164 chemin des caraygnasses. 34800 Cabrières. Tel: 06 83 48 44 41
• www.souki-lodges.com

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Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, Paris

The Hôtel Particulier Montmartre is one of the capital's most confidential addresses, and also one of its most bucolic, with its 900m2 garden. In its midst, a Directoire mansion houses five sublime suites and a cosy bar, the Très Particulier, with its red velvet armchairs, black-and-white checkerboard floor and glass roof revealing the treetops. As soon as the sun begins to shine, you'll be able to savor remarkable French cuisine in the garden setting.
A rare place, timeless, where nature infuses romance and poetry.

• Double room from 813 euros
• 23 Avenue Junot 75018 Paris. Tel 01 53 41 81 40
• www.hotelparticulier.com

Pierre Lacroix