2 Best Hotels in Bergerac, The Dordogne

A nice way to experience the lovely rolling countryside just outside Bergerac, this handsome château offers everything you need for a relaxing visit, including a large pool, fine dining, golf, and charming paths for lovely walks. Rooms are pleasingly spare and modern and common spaces invite lingering, which the friendly staff heartily encourage. The hotel has gone the extra mile for families, with a kids' park and four luxurious family villas—each with three bedrooms and a self-service kitchen—on the property. Check the website for special food and wine packages (some with cooking classes).

Although it's been in business since 1855 and has occasionally played host to some famous guests (Francis Bacon and François Mitterrand among them), the Bordeaux of today has contemporary furnishings and simple, tidy rooms—the best of which look out on the garden courtyard. The owner, Monsieur Manant, is very helpful.