Oppède - Menèrbes

From the castle on top of a rocky outcrop, Menerbes watches over neighboring Gordes and Roussillon, both listed among the most Beautiful Villages of France.

Inside the village walls, the streets reveal a rich heritage and 16th and 17th century architecture. Like many villages of the Luberon, Menerbes seduced several famous artists and writers, including Picasso and, more recently, Peter Mayle, who wrote A Year on Provence.

Three miles away, Oppède, a quiet, ancient village, with cobbled paths and ivy-covered stone buildings, houses two churches and the ruins of a castle, providing excellent views of the Luber-on valley.