Of Wine and Truffles

The Maison de la Truffe et du Vin in the main square by the mairie sells fresh truffles in season and truffle products the rest of the year. The Maison also showcases the local wines and holds tastings. It has a beautiful garden with a gorgeous view of course, and even a restaurant with truffle-themed dishes.

The Corkscrew Museum is an eccentric collection of 1200 corkscrews from the downright daft to the historic, and can be found at the Domaine de la Citadelle winery just outside the village on the road to Oppede.

For the Kids

• Can you find the tiniest house in Menerbes – one door, one window, overlooking the valley – at one time it was the village prison
• Crawl inside the Dolmen de la Pitchoune down on the D3 road and imagine who was buried here almost 7,000 years ago. The word pitchoune means ‘little girl’ in the old Provencal language and the slab that makes up the roof weighs 6 tons
• Menerbes was pounded with 900 cannon balls during the Siege of Menerbes. Some of these cannon balls can still be seen in the village today…
• Do you know what a helixophile is? It’s a corkscrew collector – there are 1200 corkscrews in the Musee du Tire-Bouchon – which translates as the Museum of the Pull-Cork!
• There is a decent playground down by the school at the southern base of the village

For History lovers

The village’s early name comes from the Roman goddess Minerva before morphing in to Menerba and Minerbium and finally settling on Menerbes.

The last remaining megalith from the neolithic period (around 4800BC) is here. Inside the Dolmen de la Pitchoune human skeletal remains, teeth, pottery and flint arrows have been found. From the village take the D3 towards Bonnieux for about 1km. It’s on the left under a tiny bridge and even though it’s signposted you’ll need to keep your eyes open!

The Art connection

Menerbes has attracted artists more than any other village in the Luberon. Most famous is Picasso’s muse Dora Maar (1907-1997), a photographer and artist in her own right. Picasso bought her a house in the village in 1944 and she lived between Paris and Provence until she died. Today the house is used by a residential programme for artists.

Nicolas de Staël (1914-1955) moved to Le Castellet, a small medieval castle at one end of Menerbes in 1953. His work shifts between abstract and figurative and he was hugely influential in post-war Europe. His life was punctuated by tragedy and he took his own life at just 41. Le Castellet is private and still with the de Staël family.

Kentucky artist Joe Downing (1925-2007) came to Menerbes having served in Europe during WWII. Once settled he invited fellow American painter Jane Eakin (1919-2002) to visit. She ended up staying for 40 years and now her house and studio are available to visit from March to November.

Restaurants

Search below for our Menerbes restaurant recommendations:

Budget:

•  High
  
•  Low
  
•  Mid
  

Title	Description
	La Bastide de Marie - Menerbes 64 chemin des Peirelles, Menerbes, Menerbes Tel: 04 90 72 30 20 About a mile outside the village on the D3 to Bonnieux, Bastide de Marie is a luxury boutique hotel with restaurant. The outside setting is magical, on a terrace with a canopy of trees, in a sea of vineyards, quite stunning. The vineyards produce the wine of the Bastide. The restaurant is calm and elegant, service reassuringly correct. Typical dishes might be squid stuffed with ratatouille, grilled sole with Swiss chard gratin. The chef only uses seasonal ingredients, sourced from the markets. For fine dining, expect to pay around 50€ a head for lunch before drinks. You must book well ahead as there are limited tables for non-guests. Budget: High | Opening Hours: Open April - November
	Le 5 - Menerbes Place Albert Roure, Menerbes, Menerbes Tel: 04 90 72 31 84 An off-shoot of Cafe Veranda, Le 5 occupies the great outdoor space once taken up by Clementine, if you know your Menerbes. This is a lovely gravelled area with mature trees and delightful view to the north. There is no inside, all tables are outside so it is only open May-September. There is also sofa lounging if you just want a drink. The restaurant is an open-air affair and the relaxed atmosphere that comes from such a picturesque setting is really what you come here for. The food is regular bistro fare, perfectly good but nothing extraordinary. The service is warm and friendly. Budget: Low | Opening Hours: Open May-September