Bastide Valbonne

Bastide Valbonne sits in the arriere-pays - the hinterland behind the Riviera coast where the landscape shifts from seaside glamour to rolling Provencal countryside of lavender fields, olive groves, and honey-stone villages. The property is a classic bastide, the fortified farmhouses that wealthy Provencal families built between the 16th and 18th centuries, with metre-thick walls, small shuttered windows, and a central courtyard shaded by a 200-year-old plane tree. Six bedrooms are arranged between the main house and a converted bergerie (sheepfold). The main house holds four bedrooms on the upper floor, each with hand-plastered walls in soft Provencal colours - lavender, sage, ochre, and cream. The bergerie, a 30-metre walk through the lavender garden, contains two independent suites with their own entrance, sitting room, and kitchenette. The property's resident sommelier, previously at a two-star restaurant in Mougins, has assembled a cellar of 800 bottles focused on Provencal and Rhone wines. Daily tastings explore the diversity of the region - rose from Bandol, red from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, white from Cassis - and the sommelier can arrange private visits to domaines throughout the region. A tennis court sits in a clearing among the olive trees, maintained to clay court standards. The 18-metre pool is surrounded by lavender plantings that bloom from June through August, scenting the entire pool area. An outdoor kitchen with a wood-fired pizza oven and a plancha grill allows the chef to prepare meals al fresco. Valbonne village, with its arcaded square and Friday morning market, is a 10-minute drive. The coast at Antibes is 20 minutes south. Grasse, the perfume capital, is 15 minutes north. Cannes is 25 minutes west. The property is well positioned for guests who want the Provencal countryside experience with easy access to the Riviera coast.