Inland from Bordeaux, the Lot and Lot-et-Garonne departments have a rich character that feels timeless and authentically French – if you love dramatic landscapes and historic villages, this could be your dream destination, as Annaliza Davis explains

The Canal du Midi flows though some beautiful locations – Carolyn Reynier explores three tempting places to buy along its route: Revel, Olonzac and Agde

Sarah Daly explores two neighbouring towns in the beautiful area of Pas-de-Calais she calls home: Montreuil-sur-Mer and Hesdin-la-Forêt

Character property pick

American couple Valerie and Ralph Rivera settled in a placid village-cum-small town in Bordeaux wine country and discovered that slow living and friendly neighbours offer the ultimate luxury

We’d passed through the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, to give it its full title, many times en route to other destinations and always said that we should have another break in this beautiful country (we’