First stop on the ‘Route du Bonheur, or the ‘Road to Happiness’ which led to the creation of Relais & Châteaux back in 1954, this typical regional house, with its half-timbered frontage, pink bricks and thatched roof, is an institution that has just got better and better with each passing decade. The Dépée family has turned this former post house into a charming hotel which now also has a beautiful big swimming pool. Its six hectares of grounds are a haven of peace and invite you, in the shade of hundred-year old trees, to taste the region’s excellent wines – especially Sancerre and Pouilly.