“In 200 metres left turn to Bannes and we are at the end of the tarmac”, gite owner Sue Page tells me how to find what will become our holiday home for the week.

And therein lies the charm and appeal of coming to stay in this part of the lush surrounds of Aveyron region of southern France – at the end of the tarmac, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Sue tells me on our first night, over a welcoming glass or three of local wine, that some of her guests just hole up for the week as a way to relax from nine-to-five working lives that all too easily become 24/7.

And there is much to calm the office tensions here, with a simple sun terrace and garden where you can while away the hours listening to the call-and-response interactions of many different birds as your soothing soundtrack.

A short walk from the end of the tarmac will take you to a countryside teeming with life as brightly coloured butterflies, beetles and bees all swirl around you while inquisitive lizards poke their heads out of subterranean hidey-holes.

The gite, one of hundreds of cottages, gites, villas and chauteux that Chez Nous currently offer, itself dates back to Napoleon’s reign and has all the charm and quaintness one could hope for a human hidey-hole.

The highlight is the high ceilinged kitchen with its rustic stone walls which is an ideal setting

for rustling up meals using fresh produce from the markets, butchers and numerous supermarkets in nearby Villefranche de Rouergue – a very quaint town a few kilometres away.

With cable TV, DVD player and a good selection of books from classics to classic holiday reads, some guests never venture beyond the front door in a week of relaxation.

Owner Sue lives next door and is always available to offer help or advice, her companion Philippe kindly drove us into Villefranche to show us around on day two, but just as importantly she is also very conscious to let her guests just get on with their holidays.

While the area might not be as well known as other more established French tourist spots, more an area where Brits buy property rather than holiday, Averyon has ten locations listed among the most beautiful villages in France – more than any other French department.

So when the mood strikes to venture further beyond the gite, there is no shortage of quaint, medieval villages to explore within striking distance.

The most stunning of these is Belcastel – an impressive chateau with a rich history and a stunning personal tale of resurrection.

Over six centuries it grew from a 9th century chapel, 11th century fortress to a refined 15th century chateau only to be shamefully left to rack and ruin in the 19th century with one unscrupulous owner selling off parts of its walls for building material.

Enter heroic, charismatic and controversial architect Ferdinand Pouillon who rebuilt the castle painstakingly throughout the 70s and 80s ploughing in millions of his own riches to restore the building to something that possibly exceeds its own rich past.

Chateau de Belcastel is now owned by New York art power couple Heidi Leigh and Nicholas Leone who have embellished the building still further with an exemplary armoury collection, works of modern art and the options to now stay as a guest or eat as a diner in this enchanting castle.

Equally Alpine is the beautiful Conques, another village set in and around beautiful wooded hills.

At the heart of the village is an impressive church, with modern stained-glass windows by leading artist Pierre Soulages, which once attracted hoards of pilgrims heading towards Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Those with a keen interest in religious iconography will want to stump up the few extra euros required to see the 9th century reliquary of Saint Faith, a Christian martyr with a penchant for jokes beyond the grave.

Along similar lines of interest is Najac with the stately ruins of Chateau de Najac looking imposingly on from the top of the hill.

Walking through the winding streets of Najac to the summit you are rewarded with glorious views of verdant countryside on all sides.

An impressive impregnable construction, built at a cost today of €40 million in the 12 century, it boasts the world’s largest apertures for archers to repel attackers and once hosted Richard the Lionheart, one of a number of kings, powerful bishops and Knights Templar to feature in the castle’s plots and intrigues that winds just as much as the village’s quaint streets.

Just outside of Averyon is Albi, a larger more modern town fitted out with an established centre full of shops and cafes.

But its still history that mainly brings visitors here, most notably the impressive Toulouse Lautrec Museum and the Cathedral of Saint Cecile standing side-by-side in the town’s main square.

Based in the imposing 13th century Palais de la Berbie, the museum is a fitting memorial to one of France’s best-known artists albeit in surroundings rather grander than the pint-sized painter occupied during his lifetime spent mainly in the dingier parts of Montmartre.

Blessed with more than 1000 artworks stretching throughout his career including a very impressive selection of his commercial posters, you will leave this museum feeling you have come to befriend one of the art world’s most distinctive characters.

The museum also boast beautiful formal gardens, an interesting in-depth history of the building, other exhibitions and a modern auditorium space – fatigue will set in long before you see everything in this impressive building.

Next door is the equally stunning UNESCO world heritage cathedral, the biggest brick building in the world and home to the biggest organ in France.

While its size is awe-inspiring, it’s actually the attention to detail on the interior which leaves the most lasting impression with an intricate roodscreen used to divide the most holy parts of the church from the masses and a huge fresco, originally measuring 200 square metres showing the torments and pleasures of the Last Judgement in graphic detail.

A huge restoration project on the central choeur is currently ongoing but shouldn’t ruin your experience of a stunning building.

Reaching Averyon can be done via a number of airports including Toulouse or Najac via Paris but by taking the five hour drive from Marseilles, you can feast on the architectural marvel that is Norman Foster’s Millau Viaduct.

At 2460 metres long it holds the record for the longest cable-stayed bridge and at 343 metres at its height holds that record too.

It is an elegant giant bestriding the dramatic valley landscape and offers simply the most stunning views any motorway service station could ever hope to – Cobham services I’m afraid do not come close.

The other pleasure of flying into Marseilles is the chance to spend a few days in this lively, chaotic, beautiful and divergent city.

We were fortunate enough to stay in the very cool Mama Shelter hotel – tucked away in unpromising back streets but offering a superior stay to its guests.

Its rooms are elegantly minimal while a clever monitor screen allows you to surf the internet, watch TV, select a movie, order room service, set a wake-up call and do doubt a hundred other things I never got round to mastering.

Downstairs is a very chic bar/restaurant/hang-out space decorated with mismatch furniture, sink-in sofas and football tables.

The breakfast buffet is superb, only the pickiest of eaters won’t find what they are looking for here, while at night the restaurant offers fun modern takes on classics.

Generous portions reward you for a hard day’s sightseeing including a huge rotisserie chicken in a sticky oriental sauce and stuffed calamari with rice and the richest of chorizo sauces.

And it’s a good job that there is this reward at the end of the day because it is exhausting trying to take in all the delights that Marseilles has to show you, a beautiful historic port, fantastic museums, a buzzing beachfront and picturesque countryside on the city’s fringes.

Highlights include the Frioul Islands, a short 30 minute boat trip from the harbour, where you can meander around the ruins of old fortresses and a quarantine hospital, slip into turquoise seas in hidden little coves, or take in the 300 plants and almost 100 birds that call this spectacular rock their home.

Also in the archipelago is the imposing Chateau d’If, a fortress and prison which fictionally held the hero of Alexandre Dumas’ classic tale The Count of Monte Cristo and which really did hold an unfortunate rhinoceros who became an visitor attraction.

More stunning nature can be found in the Calanques National Park which is easily found at the end of a bus ride out of the city and where you can wander among peaceful rocks and coves of a rugged coastline.

If culture is more your thing, then Marseille is stuffed to the gills with learning – most distinctively in the stunning black-latticed, ultra-modern design of the Museum of the Mediterranean at the mouth of Marseille’s harbour.

Rather less imposing but possibly even more impressive is the Vielle Charite, a polymath’s dream set in a beautiful courtyard in a layout not dissimilar to our own British Museum.

In various rooms off the courtyard, you can familiarise yourself with the cultural practices of tribes from around the world, modern art and a variety of intriguing temporary exhibitions.

A trip to Marseilles also would not be complete without a visit to the basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde at the city’ highest point and offering stunning views over the city below.

A quaint tourist train will take you to the top as part of a citywide tour for a reasonable price.

After all that, you will need a drink at one of the many traditional French bars in the city, the perfect way to reflect on all you have seen in this multi-faceted city.

For more information on hiring a Chez Nous holiday cottage visit cheznous.com.