Combine a Cistercian abbey once abandoned during the French Revolution and the smart team behind Paris Society and you get Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay. Just 45 minutes south of Paris, it’s close enough to spontaneously visit for a long weekend but be surrounded by enough countryside to feel like a remote fairytale playground (with architecture to match). Architecturally it’s impressive – salvaged by the art-loving Baroness Charlotte de Rothschild in 1873. Carefully restoring each building with detail and care, she added new spaces to build the estate into what it is today. It’s old world (thanks to PS) and filled with prints by William Morris or Pierre Frey but with slick features like sophisticated coffee machines. Everything here is effortless, meaning it’s a failsafe for those craving a mini-escape throughout the year.