Exploring Menerbes: The Hilltop Gem of the Luberon
1. Place de l'Herloge, the town’s main square | 2. The view from Place de l'Herloge | 3. Maison de la Truffe et du Vin du Luberon, located in Place de l'Herloge | 4. Door on Rue Sainte Estève
Heading out from Avignon, the drive had been easy with little traffic and lots of lovely views. We were visiting Ménerbes today. Finding parking was easy, and off we went. Entering the village, we immediately came upon charming boutiques, art galleries, and cafés in Place Albert Roure. Narrow alleys softened by ivy branch off from the square. With a rich heritage and beautiful stone houses, Ménerbes balances luxury with simplicity. Exploring the village, we headed upwards, past small chapels, ancient doorways, and hidden gardens, reaching the small square of Place de l'Horloge, which marks the center of the village, with the clock tower and the town hall bordering the square. This is also home to the 17th-century Hôtel d'Astier de Montfaucon, now home to the Maison de la Truffe et du Vin, offering dining options in their garden and bar.
1. Rue Cornille | 2. Gated entry to Maison Dora Maar | 3. Fountain outside Chapelle Saint Blaise | 4. Bicycle on Rue du Marpas
1. Atelier Galerie LEXA at Place Albert Roure | 2. One of the many doorways in Menerbes | 3. Rue Raoul St. Raymond Sylvestre | 4. The quintessential "Provençal blue" found in the region
The village clings to its rocky hilltop like it grew there naturally, with warm stone and terracotta roofs, impossibly narrow streets intertwined between centuries-old houses. Menerbes is incredibly beautiful with a lively mix of shopping, dining - typical medieval Provençal buildings mingling with fine mansions. We spent hours doing nothing in particular except getting lost down the alleyways.
1. Little boutique shop La Petite Vie Est Belle on Rue du Maupas | 2. Ivy-covered building on Rue du Maupas | 3. Little corner building on Rue du Maupas | 4. A window on the Dora Maar House
The Ménerbes commune extends from the summit of Petit Luberon in the south down to the Calavon River in the north. Evidence of early human occupation in Ménerbes has been discovered in surrounding caves and rock shelters. Roman artifacts have also been found in the area. In the early medieval ages, Ménerbes began to develop, and by the 11th century, it had become a fortified village.
1. Chapelle Saint Blaise on Rue Kléber Guendon | 2. Doorway in Place de l'Herloge | 3. Entry door on the Maison Dora Maar | 4. Exterior of the Dora Maar House on Rue du Portail Neuf
Ménerbes has long attracted creative souls. The village became a haven for artists and writers in the 20th century. Picasso’s companion, photographer Dora Maar, bought a house near the top of the village, a beautiful stone building that now bears her name. Renowned painter Nicolas de Staël, as well as British author Peter Mayle, called this village home. Mayle’s book, “A Year in Provence,” made the village internationally famous.
1. The walk up Chem. du Portail towards Place de l'Herloge | 2. Green door on Rue Sainte Estève | 3. Stone wall on Rue Sainte Estève | 4. View from Chem. du Portail
Ménerbes has certainly earned its distinction of one of France's Plus Beaux Villages de France, the official designation for France’s most beautiful villages. Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century stone houses line narrow streets that climb steadily upward. Each turn offers another view: the Luberon Valley spreading south, Mont Ventoux's white peak to the north, vineyards rolling in every direction. Strolling the winding cobblestone streets with its stone buildings, we discovered beautiful mansions from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and 17th-18th centuries; some now house galleries, others private residences.
1. The clock tower at Place de l'Herloge | 2. Rue Raoul St Raymond Sylvestre | 3. Rue Klebèr Guendon | 4. Sundial in Place Albert Roure
1. Building with faded sign on Rue Raoul St Raymond Sylvestre | 2. Arched dooorway on Rue Saint Barb | 3. Window above the Sacha le Concept Store on Place Albert Roure | 4. Alleyway along Chem. du Portail
PLANNING YOUR VISIT
SHOPPING
La Petite Vie Est Belle
Set in an old village house, this little shop offers a mix of antique furniture and decorative objects. I picked up a lovely small antique painting that now sits on my kitchen counter.
Addresss: 107, Rue du Maupas (opposite the Café du Progrès)
MARKET DAY
In season, the market is held on Thursdays at the Place de l'Horloge at the top of the village.
1. Rue Cornille | 2. Gated entry to Maison Dora Maar | 3. Fountain outside Chapelle Saint Blaise | 4. Bicycle on Rue du Marpas
DIRECTIONS & PARKING
From Avignon, take N7 and then D900 towards Apt. It’s a 40-minute drive from Avignon. There is free parking at the village entrance and along the road.
TOURISM INFORMATION
Ménerbes Town Hall
Location: 20 Place de l'Horloge
Pays d’Apt Luberon Tourisme
Pays d’Apt Luberon Tourisme offers a very handy, downloadable village map.
