Ménerbes is one of the quieter stars of the Luberon, a long stone village stretched along a ridge between vineyards and cherry orchards. It has the views and the honey-coloured houses you come to Provence for, but it usually feels less theatrical than Gordes and less polished than some of its neighbours.
Peter Mayle lived nearby, and the village still carries a faint literary afterglow, though the better reason to come is the walk through its lanes. The restored houses, small galleries, and views toward the Petit Luberon make it a good slow stop between Lacoste and Gordes.