As the UK celebrates the writer's 250th birthday, there's never been a better time to explore the dramatic bluffs and picture-perfect villages connected to her most famous novel.

"There is not a finer county in England than Derbyshire," wrote 19th-Century novelist Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice, arguably her most famous novel. Indeed, its idyllic stone villages and towns, verdant valleys, deep caverns, towering gritstone edges and windswept moorlands make the East Midlands county one of the best places to enjoy England's great outdoors.

Derbyshire played a starring role in Austen's novel, shining particularly in the latter half when its heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, travels north from Hertfordshire to the Peak District and is reunited with the book's romantic hero, Mr Darcy. Joe Wright's 2005 film adaptation brought the stunning scenery to the big screen, leading travellers to flock to Derbyshire and see the sights through their own eyes.

Yet, according to Hazel Jones, editor of the Jane Austen Society's Annual Report, there is no evidence that Austen actually ever visited Derbyshire. Instead, Austen would have read romanticised descriptions in contemporary journals of the county, which experienced a Georgian period boom in tourism, and completed "scrupulous research", says Jones.

"We just have to trust Jane Austen's instinct that Derbyshire is the perfect county for Pemberley [Mr Darcy's home] says Jones. "It is, after all, far enough away from Mrs Bennet."

This year not only marks the 250th anniversary of Austen's birth but also the 30th anniversary of the adapted BBC miniseries and the 20th anniversary of the four-time Oscar-nominated film – which will be re-released in select cinemas in the UK, US and Australia starting 20 April. As the weather warms and wildflowers blanket the region, it's an opportune time to explore the many landmarks and filming locations connected to one of the world's great love stories.

Any tour of Austen's Derbyshire should begin at Chatsworth House. Fittingly, the opulent Grade I-listed estate and stables were transformed into Pemberley, the home of Pride and Prejudice's wealthy suitor, Mr Darcy, in the 2005 film.

Chatsworth sits on 1,822 manicured acres on the banks of the Derwent river, and it is home to herds of deer and sheep as well as wild animals. Owned and lived in by 17 generations of the Devonshire family, it opened its doors to the public in 1708.

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Each June, Chatsworth hosts a screening of the Pride & Prejudice film in the gardens.

Today, visitors can tour the stately home to admire one of Europe's most significant private art collections, whose paintings, rare books and historical documents span more than four centuries. Visitors will eventually come to the sculpture gallery, which fans of the film will recognise – particularly the Veiled Vestal. Keep your eyes peeled in the gift shop for a bust of Darcy's head, though, unfortunately, it's not available to purchase – or kiss!

While you could easily spend a day exploring Chatsworth's 105-acre garden, dipping your toes into the 300-year-old Cascade waterfall, winding through the giant

© BBC