Carved into the rocky cliffs, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie rises like a mirage. Almost camouflaged. Seen from a distance, the village evokes the Nativity Scene, confined between two Mediterranean coloured cliffs. Even more so because, from the top of the village, hanging by long chains, just above the chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Beauvoir, shines a star, which has given rise to a number of legends. One of them is penned by French poet, Nobel Prize winner for literature, Frédéric Mistral. He said the golden lustre was a former vow dedicated to the Virgin Mary, installed at the request of the knight Blacas, a crusader taken prisoner by the Saracens in 1210, who had promised: if he escaped death and returned to his village alive, he would hang a star on a chain in honour of the Virgin. Other stories evoke the Wise Men, love affairs, but not one explanation has been authenticated and so the mystery prevails. To date, eleven stars have been hung from that spot, one after the fall of the other. And so the star watches over Moustiers and Moustiers watches over Lake Sainte-Croix, of a blue hard to explain, which is the gateway to the mesmerising ravines of the Verdon Gorge, one of the deepest canyons in Europe.
Moustiers is on the list of the most beautiful and picturesque villages in French Provence. Known for the manufacture of faience pottery, the entire place emanates a wonderful scent of lavender, which invades the nostrils and serenades the heart. The occupation of this region dates back 30,000 years and the present village had its beginnings in the 5th century, when the monks of Lérins settled in the caves, where they created their monastery, or moustier, as it was called in the Middle Ages.
Walking through its pretty, narrow lanes, you will come across several little Provençal shops selling pottery, as well as olive oil, olives and lavender, grown in the region, and products made from them, such as traditional soaps and other cosmetics. In addition, Moustiers offers visitors all of the charm of Provence, with its little houses in ochre colours and windows adorned with flowers. There is no shortage of little restaurants where you can discover regional delicacies: truffles, olive oil, tapenade, lavender honey, regional vegetables, biscuits, goat’s cheese, and charcuterie. There is also no shortage of lavender ice creams, if you need to cool off in one of the many shady spots. The climb up to its highest point, the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir, which was once an important pilgrimage centre, is tough on your legs. But from up there, the view is a sight to behold.
