7 Best Sights in Ménerbes, Provence

Part museum, part cabinet of curiosities, this 14th-century mansion in the heart of Cavaillon, a medieval town 15 km (9 miles) west of Ménerbes, is an extraordinary repository. Its five floors contain architectural and archaeological artifacts (some found in an on-site dig), religious relics, ancient books and prints, tapestries, and musical instruments. In addition, a remarkable collection of art includes everything from masterpieces by Caravaggio and Artemesia Gentileschi to modern works by Victor Vasarely and Cy Twombly—each illustrating, in its own unique way, the story of this fascinating region. Even the garden is a wonder, harboring the remains of Hellenistic and Roman temples. Visits, by reservation only, can be made on the website.

The flowering of a 25-year project, this lovely botanical garden is planted on rediscovered 18th-century terraces at the highest point of La Citadelle vineyards, with magnificent views of Ménerbes and the Vaucluse and Ventoux mountains. Stroll its scenic paths to see hundreds of medicinal and aromatic plant species used in traditional medicines for millennia. Afterward, enjoy a tasting at the domaine and entrance to the Musée du Tire-Bouchon, the world's first museum dedicated to the corkscrew.

Don't miss this quirky museum, which has some 1,200 corkscrews—the oldest dating from the 17th century—collected from all over the world. There are also some interesting historical displays on various wine-related subjects.

The ornate synagogue in Cavaillon, now a museum, belonged to one of the four communities protected for five centuries under the Avignon popes and is set in the heart of the town’s Jewish ghetto, which, from medieval times until the 18th century, was closed every evening. Though the ground-floor rooms (including a bread bakery and ritual bath) were built in the 15th century with stone from the onsite quarry, the rococo-style sanctuary upstairs dates from an 18th-century restoration. The colorful and gilded interiors belie the Jewish population's difficult and severely circumscribed existence. The museum offers six to eight guided tours per day in high season (two in English) by reservation only. Cavaillon is 15 km (9 miles) west of Ménerbes.

The surrealist artist, photographer, and poet Dora Maar purchased this 18th-century manor in 1944 and spent her summers here in solitude until her death in the 1990s. Although famous for being Picasso’s lover and muse, Maar was already an established photographer when she met the artist. The house, now an artists’ residence, offers a glimpse of her life in elegant rooms with magnificent Luberon views. It’s easy to imagine her quietly gathering inspiration for her landscapes and poetry. There’s also a bookstore. Book your visit on the website.

Wine and cinema come together in a captivating way at this state-of-the-art estate owned by the British film director Ridley Scott and located in Oppède, just 5 km (3 miles) northwest of Ménerbes. Here, Scott and his team of experts make award-winning wines without the use of harmful chemicals and with respect for the region's biodiversity, especially the bees, the winery’s symbol. Visitors are welcomed for impromptu tastings and organized tours. On the one-hour Classic Tour (€20), you’ll taste four wines. As part of the 90-minute Superior Tour (€50), flights of private-selection wines are served in a VIP tasting room amid costumes, props, and posters from Scott’s iconic films. An on-site boutique sells wines and other local specialties, and the winery also rents several luxury villas and a farmhouse (three-night minimum stay).

In pretty Place de l'Horloge, a campanile tops the Hôtel de Ville, and you can admire the delicate stonework on the arched portal and mullioned windows of a Renaissance house. Just past the tower on the right is an overlook taking in views toward Gordes, Roussillon, and Mont Ventoux.