The Morvan

Perhaps one of France's best-kept secrets, the tiny Morvan region is easily missed but definitely worth a visit

NEVER HEARD OF the Morvan? It's perhaps not surprising when this area of low, wooded hills shares a country that includes regions such as the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Côte d’azur, the Vosges, the Massif Central, the Millau viaduct, the Normandy beaches… well, you get the picture. There are more famous bits of the country that attract more visitors.

And in a nutshell, that’s what we like about this particular region of Burgundy. It’s not a huge area – it's only about the size of the Peak District – but it is criss-crossed by a network of fiendishly twisty and blissfully quiet roads. It’s possible to put a couple of good, diverse days’ riding together, and that's why it makes an excellent destination for a short break.

Hotel tip: Hotel Vauban (www.citotel-avallon.fr)