Location: Menerbes, Luberon Area, Provence, France, Europe (45 minutes from Avignon; 1 hour from Marseille Airport)
Accommodations: Village House, 3 Bedrooms + Loft + Den, 1.5 Baths (Sleeps 5-6)
Our 300-year old "Maison de Village" offers a secluded garden and small pool next to a 17th century chapel with a spectacular view of the Luberon Mountain national park and all the conveniences of village shops. The house size is perfect for a family of 4-5 or two couples (although many single couples have also enjoyed renting). You can park your car and walk everywhere.
The house is located on the southern flank of the perched village of Menerbes, classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence" is set in Menerbes where he lived for many years.
Eating outdoors in summer is a French tradition and we have four lovely areas set up with tables and chairs. Enjoy breakfast on the veranda, just off the kitchen with a spectacular view of the Luberon while you enjoy croissants, the local paper and the Herald Tribune. Lunch is eaten in the garden adjacent to the Chapelle St. Blaise which provides cool shade even in the heat of the day. Gouter or afternoon tea is served in the lower garden next to the pool, where we have an antique iron cafe table and chairs. Dinner is best at the table under the grapevines in yet another corner of the garden. From here the view towards the Luberon is framed by green leaves (and hanging grapes depending on the season) and truly looks like an impressionist painting. After your evening walk, it's customary to drink herbal tea (we have "verveine" growing in the garden) on the veranda. From here, you can watch the colors change on the mountain with the setting sun or gaze at the stars.
Menerbes is a short drive from the weekly markets of Cavaillon and Apt, the ochre hills of Roussillon, the Abbaye of Senanque, Fontaine de Vaucluse, and other perched villages such as Gordes, Bonnieux and Oppede-le-Vieux. A 45-minute drive brings you to Avignon with the Palais des Papes, museums and lively cultural festivities.
Our extensively renovated house is 105 square meters on three floors, located in a quiet area of the village where tourists tend not to venture. Just up the street is the baker (you can smell baguettes baking from the house), and just beyond, the butcher, a grocery store with a large selection of local produce, a local wineshop, cafes and restaurants.
The first floor of the house has a small, charming living room with traditional Provencal tiles, a comfortable couch and reading chair, reading lamp and antique chairs. This leads to a fully equipped kitchen with hand-made tiles and a table seating 4-6. The sunny veranda off the kitchen has a table seating 6-8, safari chairs and two lounge chairs to the side. Also on the first floor is a full bathroom with clawfoot tub/shower, toilet, and sink and another bathroom with toilet and sink.
Three bedrooms are located on the second floor with old, beautiful, terra cotta tiles. The master bedroom has a French window overlooking the Luberon with a double bed, traditional Provencal chair, antique country furniture, and a hanging closet. The second bedroom has two twin beds, two sets of drawers and a desk. The third smaller bedroom has an antique iron single bed, desk and set of drawers.
The third floor is a large, 35-square-meter family room with a beamed ceiling and parquet floor. It can be used as a 4th bedroom for guests as it has an old sleigh bed and a convertible couch. Four windows including two skylights making it wonderfully light with a picture-postcard view of the village castle. The family room has a TV with local channels, CD player, some children's toys, colorful floor pillows, a large desk and shelves full of books in French and English.
The house has been repainted in ochre "patine à l'ancienne" and furnished with antique furniture. All beds have Provencal quilts (boutis). Other furnishings include tribal and oriental rugs, masks, a Swahili chest, tribal cloths including antique Kente and paintings from our 25 years spent in Haiti and Africa.
The garden is spread across multiple levels. Steps from the kitchen veranda lead down to the terrace shaded in grapevines with the table for 6-8. Just beyond is the terrace adjacent to the old stone wall of the Chapelle St. Blaise with yet another table for 6-8 and an antique park bench. Stones steps lead down to the lower garden which has a grassy area, hammock, antique iron cafe table and four chairs and where our small pool and deck are located. The pool deck is shaded by a gigantic farmer's market sun umbrella with two lounger chairs. This garden space is a haven of peace and surprisingly private in the heart of the village with spectacular views of the Luberon.
Jean Marie spent all of his summers in Menerbes as a child. We work overseas and our home in Menerbes has provided a wonderful vacation family base for our own three children. The house is available for rent at limited times between May and September - please inquire! We prefer two-week rentals only. You will find everything you need including sheets, towels, linens, dishes, cutlerly and kitchen equipment, as well as a free mid-stay house cleaning. Guests really appreciate our house notebook crammed with information - importantly for our favorite walks and hikes around Menerbes.
This is a "real home" - not a vacation rental property, so the house and garden have loads of personal touches and some rustic, bohemian edges. We love the old stones!
To end, we share some comments from past renters: "The house was so lovely, full of character and the view very breathtaking." "The village location was just perfect and the garden surprisingly secluded." "We went to the coast to meet friends, but there was no comparison - we wished we had stayed in Menerbes instead."
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Washer
- Linens Provided
- Off Street Parking
- Beds
- Double Bed
- Twin/Single Bed
- Convertible Bed
- Entertainment
- TV (No Cable/Satellite)
- CD Player
- Private Pool
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen
- Cooking Utensils Provided
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Microwave
- Outdoor Features
- Charcoal BBQ Grill
- Deck/Patio
- Balcony
- View/Location
- Mountain View
- Communications
- Telephone
- Other Amenities
- Pool, Outdoor furniture
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Shopping
- Sightseeing
- Restaurants
- Swimming
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Hiking
- Rock Climbing
- Antiquing
- Live Theatre
- Museums
- Horseback Riding
- Other Activities
- Cooking and Slow Food, Wineries, Farmer's Markets
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
May-Mid-Aug ..... $1700/week; minimum TWO WEEKS ($3400 total)
Mid-Aug-End Aug.. $2100/week; minimum TWO WEEKS ($4200 total).
Sept .............$1700/week; minimum TWO WEEKS ($3400 total)
Rates include utilities, local phone calls, all linens, one mid-stay cleaning.
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Property Photos
- View of the Luberon mountains from our veranda - Menerbes, Vaucluse, Provence, France Vacation Rental
- Lower garden with pool -same striking view of Luberon from the pool as above - Menerbes, Vaucluse, Provence, France Vacation Rental
- Third floor family room - Menerbes, Vaucluse, Provence, France Vacation Rental
- Kitchen
- Living room
- Full bathroom
- Master bedroom
Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #18863
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This listing was first published here in 2002.
Date last modified - June 26, 2009