There are villages you simply pass through, and others where you find yourself lingering without quite knowing why. Ménerbes belongs to the second kind. Set on a long rocky spur overlooking the Calavon plain and listed among the most beautiful villages of France, it has the silhouette of a stone ship run aground in a sea of vines. From Le Clos de Manon, we often take our guests there: it is about a twenty-minute drive from Gordes, along the D2 and then the D103, through a landscape of cypresses and cabanons that already hints at the light of the South.
What makes Ménerbes special is that it has charmed painters and writers alike. This is where Peter Mayle set down his suitcases, where Picasso settled the woman he loved, and where the truffle still reigns in winter. Here is how we suggest you discover it.
Peter Mayle's village
If Ménerbes is known far beyond the borders of the Luberon, it owes much of that fame to an English writer who fell in love with Provence. Peter Mayle settled here in the late 1980s and wrote A Year in Provence, a worldwide bestseller that introduced the Luberon to hundreds of thousands of readers. His warm humour about the local craftsmen, neighbours and Provençal seasons has shaped the image of the region for good.
Strolling through the lanes, you quickly understand what kept him here. The village is best explored slowly, on foot, climbing the main street up to the church of Saint-Luc and the orientation table, from where the view takes in:
- Mont Ventoux to the north, often capped with white well into spring;
- the Monts de Vaucluse and, in the distance, the silhouette of Gordes clinging to its hill;
- the Calavon valley, a patchwork of vineyards and orchards.
At the very top of the village, the Castellet, a former citadel, is a reminder that Ménerbes was a Protestant stronghold harshly besieged during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century. The village's commanding position was never an accident.
The Maison de la Truffe et du Vin
In the heart of the village, in a 17th-century mansion, the Maison de la Truffe et du Vin du Luberon celebrates the two treasures of the local terroir. It is one of our favourite stops to recommend, because it gathers everything the region has to offer the palate in a single place.
- a wine cellar bringing together the wines of the Luberon and Ventoux appellations, to taste or take away;
- everything you need to know about the black truffle (the famous Tuber melanosporum), queen of the Provençal winter;
- a lovely terraced garden with sweeping views over the valley.
The truffle season runs from mid-November to mid-March: this is when the surrounding markets come alive with its unmistakable aroma. If you are staying with us in winter, that is one more reason to make your way to Ménerbes.
Dora Maar and the village's artistic soul
Ménerbes has long drawn artists. Dora Maar, photographer, painter and muse to Picasso, lived here for many years in a house the painter had given her. The village still has that quiet, studio-like atmosphere of old doors, wisteria and windows left ajar onto hidden courtyards.
This heritage is more than a tourist legend: Ménerbes continues to welcome artist residencies and art lovers. Wandering with no particular destination, you will come across galleries, workshops and little squares where you long to sit in the shade of a plane tree. It is this blend of heritage and living creativity that makes it one of the gems in our guide to the most beautiful hilltop villages of the Luberon.
Saint-Hilaire Abbey
A few kilometres below the village, on the road towards Lacoste, Saint-Hilaire Abbey is a stop that many visitors wrongly overlook. This small Carmelite monastic complex, built into the hillside between the 13th and 14th centuries, radiates a rare sense of calm.
Backed against the rock and surrounded by terraces of vines and olive trees, the abbey offers a silent pause far from the bustle of the villages. It is the perfect place for late afternoon, when the light gilds the stone and the Luberon turns to ochre.
Our insider tips around Ménerbes
To enjoy the village without the crowds and explore the surroundings wisely, here is what we suggest to our guests:
- Come early in the morning or late in the day: the light is superb and the lanes far more peaceful;
- Park on the edge of the village and explore on foot: the streets are narrow and steep;
- Wear comfortable shoes, as the stone calades can be slippery in wet weather;
- Combine Ménerbes with the neighbouring villages, all within less than twenty minutes' drive.
Ménerbes forms an ideal trio with its closest neighbours. Just a few minutes away, you can discover Lacoste: the Marquis de Sade's château and the artists' village, whose silhouette rises directly across the valley. A little further on, Bonnieux, a hilltop village between cedars and vines unfolds its stepped lanes, while Oppède-le-Vieux, the reborn ghost village offers one of the most singular experiences in the Luberon. In a single day, you can move from one hilltop village to the next without ever tiring of the landscape.
Making Ménerbes a getaway from Le Clos de Manon
From Gordes, Ménerbes makes an ideal half-day outing: the road winds between vineyards and olive groves, and you return in the evening with a bottle of Luberon and, in winter, the lingering memory of truffle. This is exactly what we love to offer our guests: a central, peaceful base, a ten-minute walk from Gordes, from which you can explore in every direction without ever being long on the road.
To make the most of this mosaic of hilltop villages, we recommend a stay of five to seven nights. If the idea appeals to you, you can check availability at Le Clos de Manon right now and start planning your Provençal escape.