Les Cabanes de Graville

Handily, horse riding and woodland hikes are available right on site, and several outdoorsy and sightseeing options also lie within easy reach by car. Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine is an easy 11 kilometres from the edge of Fontainebleau Forest, famed for its stellar bouldering: 15 or so main boulder clusters lie throughout 900 square kilometres of lush forest, so it’s handy to have a car if you intend on making this activity the mainstay of your trip – and to know exactly where in the woods you’re heading to too. Rent yourself a bike over in the handsome medieval town and former stronghold of Moret-sur-Loing, seven kilometres from base, to take to two wheels for rides along the seine or through the neighbouring Fontainebleau forest. The streets of Moret’s historic centre are also a smashing place for a stroll: explore such spots as the Maison de François I and its Renaissance gallery, the barley sugar making museum and the keep and fortified gateways, all set among ancient half-timbered houses and narrow cobbled streets. For something more city-based, the famed sights of Paris are about 70 minutes’ drive away.