Ménerbes is a charming medieval village set on a hilltop in beautiful scenic surroundings between the two big mountain ranges, Plateau de Vaucluse and Montagne de Lubéron. A holiday in Ménerbes offers fantastic nature experiences and extraordinary opportunities for outdoor activities in the very mountainous and verdant surroundings.
- A couple of eating places
- Outdoor activities in the Vaucluse area, see following websites: http://www.provenceguide.com/gbcdt/index.asp; http://www.hautvaucluse.com/pdf/guidea.pdf (Guide to activities and sights in the Haut Vaucluse area).
- Walking and hiking tours in the area
- Angling
- Climbing
- Rowing, kayaking
- Paragliding
- Cycling: Challenges for everyone – both experienced and families with children. There are several scenic tours to other villages in the area, many easy mountain routes as well as the difficult Mont Ventoux route. Bicycles can be rented in the town.
- Golf –There are lots of courses in the area, 4 in the department of Vaucluse and a lot in the neighbouring department Bouches du Rhône. Most of the courses can be found on the French golf union’s website. Unfortunately the website is in French. Seek under Guide de golfs and then under the region Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur: www.ffgolf.org
- Musée du tire-bouchon: A fine little museum, with a display of no less than 1000 different kinds of corkscrews.
- The corkscrew was, actually, invented in France in the 17th century.
- The medieval abbey church, Abbaye St. Hilaire, where St. Louis rested when returning from the crusades. Church from the 11th century.
- Le Dolmen de la Pichouno: An ancient dolmen on the outskirts of the town (unique in Vaucluse).
- Beautiful medieval and renaissance properties.
- Chapelle Ste Blaise from the 18th century.
Ménerbes is nominated one of the prettiest villages in France and Ménerbes has, in fact, managed to retain big parts of the cultural and historic relics from its turbulent past.
Ménerbes was a protestant stronghold during the religious wars in the 16th century.
In Ménerbes one can find several historical monuments, amongst others la citadelle, la Carmejane, where Général d’Empire Robert lived, the old presbytery, Duke Rantzau’s mansion and Nicolas de Staël and Picasso’s houses.
Over the years Ménerbes has seduced lots of artists, musicians, writers and actors, who now own houses on the outskirts of the town.
In Ménerbes one can still admire the ancient fortifications, built between the 12th and the 17th century.
Ménerbes also has an old medieval abbey church,
Abbaye St. Hilaire, an old hospice and an old bell tower with its typical Provencal wrought iron campanile.