A Quick Guide to Menerbes, France

Menerbes, France was one of our favorite villages that we explored in Provence. While we tried to visit new to us villages this trip, we went back to Menerbes because we felt we didn’t get enough time there last trip. Menerbes is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France, or Most Beautiful Villages of France. We planned our time in Provence around seeing as many Plus Beaux Villages we could and none of them disappointed!

Menerbes was made famous by Peter Mayle in his books about life in Provence. He’s not the only one who fell in love with the charms of Menerbes, Picasso also purchased an 18th century home here for his lover, Dora Maar.

Due to the attention that Menerbes gets, we were worried it would be a busy village, but it was perfectly quiet. At first glance it almost seemed a bit too sleepy, but after further investigation we noticed restaurants, boulangeries, and cafes all open for business. We were charmed by the French blue shutters, pink bougainvillea, and amazing views of the valley. Read on for our quick guide to Menerbes, France!

How to get to Menerbes

Getting around in Provence is best accomplished by car. We highly recommend renting a car so that you have flexibility and mobility to explore all the different towns and villages. Some of the larger towns have a bus system, but not all of the smaller villages do.

Menerbes is one that is best accessed by car. You can just route to “Menerbes”, you don’t need to put in a specific address. Once you arrive to the village, there is a parking lot at the entrance. The rest of the village is extremly walkable.

Menerbes does not have a train station and has a very infrequent bus route. If you do need to take the bus, you can take the #18 bus from Apt or Cavaillon.

Where to stay in Menerbes

In general, we highly recommend staying in L’Isle Sur La Sorgue as we feel it is the perfect Provence home base, especially if you want to explore the villages of the Luberon. We share more about the best place to stay in Provence in this blog post.

Menerbes is also a very charming place to stay and relatively central to others villages in the Luberon. We recommend renting an apartment to get the best Provencal experience, especially in Menerbes as there are not many hotel options. We rented our apartment through Haven In.

La Bastide de Marie is a luxury hotel that’s just outside of the main part of Menerbes. We’ve toured the property of this hotel before and it’s drop dead gorgeous! We would love to stay here one day! Even if you don’t decide to stay here, it’s worth a visit to explore the beautiful property and visit their wine tasting room. {Check rates here}

If you want to stay close by to Menerbes, other village options include: Gordes, Bonnieux, Oppede, Goult, and Lacoste.

How long to stay in Menerbes

If you’re someone who likes to go at a slow pace and really soak up the vibe of the town, you can certainly spend a full day in Menerbes. We were only there for about 4 hours, including dinner, and it felt like plenty. The really nice thing about the villages in the Luberon is that they are quite small and many of them are close together. We recommend combining Menerbes with a few other villages to create a perfect day itinerary.

We personally like the combination of Oppede, Bonniuex, and Menerbes. For more information on other villages in the Luberon and how to combine them, check out our comprehensive guide to the Luberon.

Things to do in Menerbes

In general, the best thing to do in any of the Provencal villages is to wander. The charm of these villages is in the slow pace of life, the adorable cobblestone streets, the incredible views, and the fresh air. Take some time to just explore, strolling along any little street that catches your eye. When you’ve had enough exploring, find a cafe and linger over a glass of rose or a croissant. Time moves slowly in these Provencal villages, especially in Menerbes. Allow yourself to slow down and relax along with it. That’s the real “thing to do” in Menerbes.

Other great options include:

Castellet – A beautiful 15th century fortress
Musee Du Tire Bouchon – This quirky museum is all about corkscrews! If you have some extra time, it could be a fun experience, plus you’ll learn some facts about wine making

Where to eat in Menerbes

While Menerbes doesn’t have as many dining options as some of the larger villages, there are still a few great places to check out if you happen to find yourself there at lunch or dinner time. Keep in mind, many places close mid day between lunch and dinner.

Maison de la Truffe et du Vin – This is where we dined and we very much enjoyed the wine, food, and the views. The ambiance is very relaxing and you have an incredible view of the valley. Go at sunset! Even if you don’t dine here, this is a fantastic spot to stop by for truffle and wine tasting. They have an amazing wine selection and the staff is very knowledgeable about wines

Les Saveurs Gourmandes – We have not dined here, but the seasonal menu looks fantastic and it’s recommended by the Michelin dining guide

Bistrot le 5 – This is where we meant to eat before we were distracted by truffles and wine, haha. The reviews are fantastic, they have gorgeous garden seating and beautiful views. Our friends at Cooking With Wine have eaten there and said they very much enjoyed it.

What to wear in Menerbes

| dress | shoes | basket bag (similar) |

Menerbes is similar to majority of the small villages in Provence. Most of the people dress casually, but still look very put together. This means pants and nice top or a dress for women and pants and a nice top for men. You won’t really see people wearing workout clothing or shoes or shorts. I stuck out a bit in my dress, I didn’t see many people wearing dresses but that’s just what I’m comfortable in. I did get a lot of compliments, haha.

In general, you want to wear something that is going to be comfortable in the wind. Provence, especially the Luberon area, gets very windy year around, even if the weather forecast doesn’t say anything about wind. Because of that, I stuck to longer dresses so that I wouldn’t be over exposed or uncomfortable.

You’ll also want to wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be walking a lot and the ground is uneven and full of cobblestone. Make sure your shoes are polished though, you won’t see people wearing athletic shoes! I wore these flats nonstop, they are extremely comfortable and I don’t normally find flats to be comfortable. Bassam loves these loafers, although they do need to be broken in.

A Quick Guide to Menerbes, France