"Tucked into lavender country in the northern Var by the jade waters and cliffs of the Gorges du Verdon, this converted village postal station has been reimagined as a charming auberge with 13 rooms furnished from a jumble of handpicked rustic antiques (some with foldout beds for families). The location is ideal for outdoor pursuits and families — a Norman Foster–designed Prehistoric Museum sits next door and kayaking, electric boats and other water sports are a short stroll away — while dinner highlights seasonal Provençal cooking such as homemade gravlax, honey‑and‑rosemary duck, local goat cheeses and citrus panna cotta; note the property closes for the winter season and reopens in the spring." - Lanie Goodman