Château de Brindos, Biarritz, France
Standing next to the largest private lake in France – a huge mirror where water lilies meet mallards and a light nostalgic mist floats through autumn – this unspoilt, romantic château owned by French rugby legend Serge Blanco and home to influential politician Sir Reginald Wright's famed tea dances back in the 1930s, is the perfect spot for enjoying the Basque Country's more gentle way of life.