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The rooftops of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and the church bell tower, seen from above

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence · Parc naturel régional du Verdon

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Cliffs, faience and lake

Between two cliffs and below its suspended star, the village of faience, at the gateway to Lake Sainte-Croix and the Gorges du Verdon.

Where to stay
More about Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
Population
683 hab. (INSEE, 2023)
Elevation
630 m
Department
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04)
Postcode
04360
Label
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
Label
Villages et Cités de caractère
Label
Ville et Métiers d'Art
Label
Ville Fleurie / 3 fleurs
Label
Parc Naturel Régional du Verdon (membre fondateur, 3 mars 1997)
Label
UNESCO Géoparc de Haute-Provence
Label
Office de Tourisme Classé
Label
Qualité Tourisme
Location
Village built against the Notre-Dame ravine, between two limestone cliffs. Between the Gorges du Verdon, Lac de Sainte-Croix (the first beaches about 10 minutes away by car) and the Valensole plateau (lavender).

Why visit Moustiers?

See the must-sees

Photos: Ville de Moustiers-Sainte-Marie · Zairon, CC BY 4.0 · Olivier Cleynen, CC BY 4.0

What to do in Moustiers?

Discover all activities

Photos: Ville de Moustiers-Sainte-Marie · Tylwyth Eldar, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon, CC BY 4.0 · Olivier Cleynen, CC BY 4.0

The must-sees

See the Verdon map

Photos: Ville de Moustiers-Sainte-Marie · Tylwyth Eldar, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon, CC BY 4.0

All the heritage of Moustiers (7 places)

Details as recorded, with their sources and the points still to be checked.

In the village

Étoile de Moustiers
A 5-pointed star suspended on a 135 m chain (about 150 kg) between the two cliffs. At least 11 versions have succeeded one another since the Middle Ages, according to the town hall. Legend attributes it to the vow of the chevalier de Blacas, who left on crusade in the 12th century.
Musée de la Faïence
Inaugurated on 15 September 1929 at the instigation of Marcel Provence and the Académie de Moustiers, renovated in 2014 (Pierre Jourdan-Barry donation). Housed in the former hospice, with more than 300 original pieces. Styles: grotesques, mythological scenes, Bérain-style decor.

Elsewhere in the commune

Chapel of Notre-Dame de Beauvoir
Romanesque portico, 12th-century Romanesque nave later rebuilt in Gothic style, former shrine of respite. Access via a Way of the Cross path with enamelled plaques, with a view over the Maïre valley.
Church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption
Commissioned 1336-1361 by Cardinal Pierre de Pratis, Lombard-style bell tower, classified as a Monument Historique.
Active faience workshops
Several workshops keep alive the faience of Moustiers, revived in 1926 by Marcel Provence; the up-to-date list is published by the town hall (moustiers.fr).
Courchon paragliding site
Take-off area at 900 m altitude above the village, accessed via the so-called 'Roman' path, landing at the Reine Jeanne site (GEO.fr).
Ségriès monastery
Listed as unusual accommodation by the departmental tourism portal. A 'Ségriès engraved bison' is mentioned (attribution to be verified).

Moustiers in pictures

  • The bell tower of the church of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption lit up at night, beneath the cliff
    The bell tower at night
  • A waterfall on the stream that flows through Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
    A waterfall on the stream
  • The Lavoir de la Source wash house, its stone basins and running water
    The Lavoir de la Source
  • A moss-covered fountain on a street in Moustiers
    A village fountain
  • A paved lane in the old centre of Moustiers
    A lane in the old centre
  • An arched stone bridge in the heart of Moustiers
    A bridge in the heart of the village

Photos: Ville de Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Choose your Moustiers

According to what you enjoy, with no set length of stay.

Where to stay in Moustiers

See the 31 places to stay in Moustiers

Hotels, campsites and gîtes in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, with their actual rating where one exists.

Listings marked “Ad” (LiveVerdon plan) or “Recommended by the publisher” are ranked ahead of the others: plans first, then the publisher’s clients, then addresses recommended with no commercial link. How listings are ranked

About 73 places to stay listed (indicative, Booking, 6 July 2026).

Also compare on the main platforms:

Booking → Airbnb → Gîtes de France →

Where to eat in Moustiers

See all restaurants in Moustiers

A selection of restaurants from the LiveVerdon directory.

Listings marked “Ad” (LiveVerdon plan) or “Recommended by the publisher” are ranked ahead of the others: plans first, then the publisher’s clients, then addresses recommended with no commercial link. How listings are ranked

Ranking of Moustiers restaurants (19 rated restaurants)

Restaurants ranked by the quality of their Google and Tripadvisor reviews, the number of reviews behind them and how closely the two platforms agree.

  1. Le FourWood-fired pizzasà la carte €12–19 4.7 333 Google reviews 4.7 51 Tripadvisor reviews
  2. La CantineFrench cooking with Moroccan influences 4.7 1101 Google reviews 4.5 884 Tripadvisor reviews
  3. La Bastide de MoustiersMediterranean cooking with a strong plant-based emphasisseasonal set menu from €90 4.6 476 Google reviews
  4. La GrignotièreBrunch/breakfastfrom €8 4.6 903 Google reviews 4.4 845 Tripadvisor reviews
  5. Délices d'ItalieIce-cream parlour/Italian crêperie: light crêpesdishes generally under €10 4.7 139 Google reviews 4.6 58 Tripadvisor reviews
  6. Brasserie du Petit LacBrasserie: salads€10 to €18 à la carte 4.4 666 Google reviews 4.6 161 Tripadvisor reviews
  7. Brasserie Chez BenoîtTraditional French brasserie: artisan pizzas 4.5 1292 Google reviews 4.2 745 Tripadvisor reviews
  8. Les MagnansRegional and Provençal cooking: grills 4.4 1359 Google reviews 4.2 513 Tripadvisor reviews
  9. La Part des AngesTraditional and home-made cookingà la carte €7–50 4.4 554 Google reviews 4.2 140 Tripadvisor reviews
  10. La Bastide du ParadouCooking based on local produceà la carte €22–28; adult set menu €30–35 4.5 165 Google reviews
  11. Le Chardon-MarieContemporary French cooking / gastropubstarter €14, main course €20, dessert €12; full set menu €39.50 4.3 242 Google reviews 4.3 80 Tripadvisor reviews
  12. La Bonne AubergeContemporary French / Mediterranean cookingà la carte €16–29; adult set menus €18–39; children’s menu €15 4.4 764 Google reviews 4.1 296 Tripadvisor reviews
  13. Le RelaisRegional French cookingset menus from €24 4.4 447 Google reviews 4.1 358 Tripadvisor reviews
  14. Le CouvertFrench and Mediterranean cookingadult set menus €39–55 4.2 158 Google reviews 3.9 173 Tripadvisor reviews
  15. Côté JardinSeasonal French cookingà la carte from €24; adult set menu €28–39 4 687 Google reviews
  16. GaudinetoLocal/Provençal cooking€15 to €25–32 depending on the dish 3.9 481 Google reviews 3.5 93 Tripadvisor reviews
  17. ClérissyCrêperieà la carte €9–16 4 549 Google reviews 3.6 353 Tripadvisor reviews
  18. La CascadeTraditional Mediterranean foodà la carte €18–32 3.9 1254 Google reviews 3.3 1029 Tripadvisor reviews
  19. Le JadisBistro: burgersà la carte €9–16; dish of the day €12–14 3.4 481 Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews collected on 2026-07-04: Google and Tripadvisor shown separately, never merged into a single score.

Other places in Moustiers

  • Restaurants du village (cœur historique) — bistros, Provençal restaurants, pizzerias, crêperies · many places, largely seasonal; specific outlets through the tourist office

Services and shops in Moustiers

The essentials for your stay. Addresses open under each tile.

For a wider choice : Village membre des Plus Beaux Villages de France, village de tradition faïencière (musée de la Faïence, ateliers) et porte nord-ouest du lac de Sainte-Croix. Offre de restauration parmi les plus étoffées du secteur (de la table gastronomique aux terrasses du vieux village), avec la table étoilée d'Alain Ducasse. Le répertoire municipal recense notamment ~5 alimentations, 1 pharmacie, librairie, taxis. Beaucoup d'établissements sont saisonniers.

Services checked on 6 July 2026.

Moustiers in practice

Getting here, finding information, going out: the essentials to prepare your visit.

Getting to Moustiers

  • Nearest railway station: Manosque
  • TGV station: Aix-en-Provence TGV
  • Bus: Zou! network (Région Sud): line 450 from Riez, on school days only
  • Nearest airport: Marseille-Provence
Everything about getting here →

Market days

  • Friday morning : Provençal marketvillage (rue de la Bourgade / rue du Seigneur Berthet de la Clue), all year round
  • Wednesday evening : summer night marketrue de la Bourgade / rue du Seigneur Berthet de la Clue, 1 July–26 August, 18:00–23:00
  • Tuesday (plus some Sundays out of season) : market of flavours and craftsrue de la Bourgade / rue du Seigneur Berthet de la Clue, Tuesday: 7 July–25 August, 9:00–19:00; some Sundays, April–September
  • Sunday evening : producers’ market (goat’s cheese, fruit and vegetables)La Maïre car park, 5 July–30 August, 17:00–20:00
Culture, markets and festivals →
The village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie at the foot of its cliffs

Map of Moustiers

Find the places, activities and services of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie on the interactive map of the Verdon.

See the interactive map

Today in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Today’s alerts (access to forest massifs, swimming, water restrictions, roads): data updated live when the page opens, from risque-prevention-incendie.fr, baignades.sante.gouv.fr and VigiEau, as well as the recorded roadworks schedule. If JavaScript is disabled, please consult these official sources directly.

Weather in Moustiers

Forecast updated live when the page opens. If JavaScript is disabled, please consult Météo-France.

See the full agenda for Moustiers-Sainte-Marie →

Town hall news
Health in Moustiers: practitioners and facilities

Health in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Official Annuaire Santé directory, file dated 1 October 2026: health professionals in private practice or in a health centre. No ranking, no reviews.

Doctors
1
Pharmacists
2
Physiotherapists
2
Osteopaths
1

See the detailed list for Moustiers-Sainte-Marie →

Emergency numbers, on-duty pharmacy, hospitals: Health and medical emergencies →

Overview

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Commune — seat of the Parc naturel régional du Verdon

Hikes starting from Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

See the full list (4 hikes)

Culture, markets & festivals in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

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Market days

  • Friday morning — Provençal market · village (rue de la Bourgade / rue du Seigneur Berthet de la Clue)
  • Wednesday evening — summer night market · rue de la Bourgade / rue du Seigneur Berthet de la Clue
  • Tuesday (plus some Sundays out of season) — market of flavours and crafts · rue de la Bourgade / rue du Seigneur Berthet de la Clue
  • Sunday evening — producers’ market (goat’s cheese, fruit and vegetables) · La Maïre car park

Festivals & events

Fête de l'Estello (fête votive) — May (day varies from year to year)
Patron saint’s festival of the village; exact date to be confirmed each year with the town hall.
Fête de la Nativité de la Vierge / pèlerinage Notre-Dame de Beauvoir — around 8 September
Marian tradition linked to the Notre-Dame de Beauvoir chapel; arrangements to be checked.
Les Écrans du Lac — summer (July–August, dates vary; screenings at the Domaine du Petit Lac)
Travelling open-air cinema around the lakes of the Verdon and the Durance: free screenings of documentaries on shared water and the history of the dams. Organised since at least 2014 by the associations Cinéma de Pays and Culture Loisirs et Patrimoine (based in Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon), with the town halls, tourist offices and the support of EDF. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is one of the stopover municipalities listed on the organiser’s official page.

Culture & living heritage

Moustiers faience — craftsmanship
Faience production with a reputation since the end of the 17th century (Bérain designs, grotesques, mythological scenes). Ville et Métiers d’Art label. Faience workshops in the village.
Musée de la Faïence — museum
Housed in a former hospice in the heart of the village; more than 300 pieces tracing the evolution of styles and of the faience makers.
Notre-Dame de Beauvoir chapel — heritage
A Romanesque-Gothic building clinging to the cliff, classified as a Monument historique (1921), reached by a Way of the Cross (262 steps).
The Star of Moustiers — heritage
Golden star suspended by a chain (about 135 m) above the village; linked to the legend of the knight de Blacas and popularised by Frédéric Mistral (1885).
Plus Beaux Villages de France — heritage
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is part of the Plus Beaux Villages de France network.

Local tips & secrets in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

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  • best time Visit Moustiers early, before 9:30 (or after 17:00), to enjoy the lanes in peace; by mid-morning in high season, the village fills up quickly. — hotelverdon.com
  • access/parking Park in the free car parks P1 to P3 at the bottom of the village and walk up (about 15 min): the spaces vanish from mid-morning in high season. — carnetsdeprovence.com
  • view The Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir chapel, perched on its rock above the village, has to be earned: 262 steps to climb, but the view over the village and, in the distance, Lake Sainte-Croix rewards the effort. — leblogdesaventuriers.com
  • little-known spot Look up at the star suspended between the two cliffs above the village: an emblem with sixteen points linked to the legend of the knight de Blacas returning from the crusade. — mangerbougervoyager.fr
  • family Moustiers is the north-western gateway to Lake Sainte-Croix: combine a visit to the village in the morning (in the cool) with swimming or canoeing at the Galetas in the afternoon. — hotelverdon.com

History of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

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Moustiers is a village « shaped by water », according to the official heritage trail: the Adou stream, fed by an abundant spring, powered flour mills, fulling mills (paradous), and later oil mills, paper mills, varnish mills, sawmills and a paper factory from the Middle Ages onward — the Paradou aqueduct, which spanned it, remains a witness to this. The Riou, a separate stream, is linked to the village's fortified gate (Porte du Riou, also known as Porte des Oules after the potters who worked there) and to a waterfall upstream.

More than a dozen fountains, most from the 19th century, still line the narrow streets — plain and functional rather than ornamental. The most notable, the Fontaine de la Fondue, a circular fountain, once stood in front of the town hall before being moved in 1960; the heritage trail also lists the Fontaine Clérissy and the Fontaine de la Diane.

Parking in the village is metered from 1 April to 31 October, 9am to 7pm (Sainte-Anne and Magnants car parks, payable via the Flowbird app) — free the rest of the year.

Addresses in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Activities, leisure and services listed on LiveVerdon — an independent Verdon directory.

Listings marked “Ad” (LiveVerdon plan) or “Recommended by the publisher” are ranked ahead of the others: plans first, then the publisher’s clients, then addresses recommended with no commercial link. How listings are ranked

Activities & leisure in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

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Near Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

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Hikes in the area

Gorges de Baudinard →

Other communes in the Moustiers / Valensole / Riez area

Montagnac-Montpezat →Puimoisson →Riez →Roumoules →Saint-Jurs →Valensole →
Administrative details
  • INSEE code: 04135
  • Postcode: 04360
  • Area: 87.97 km²

Frequently asked questions

What are the market days in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie?

Provençal market: Friday morning, village (rue de la Bourgade / rue du Seigneur Berthet de la Clue); Summer night market: Wednesday evening, rue de la Bourgade / rue du Seigneur Berthet de la Clue; Market of flavours and crafts: Tuesday (plus some Sundays out of season), rue de la Bourgade / rue du Seigneur Berthet de la Clue; Producers’ market (goat’s cheese, fruit and vegetables): Sunday evening, La Maïre car park.

What festivals and events take place in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie?

Fête de l'Estello (fête votive) (May (day varies from year to year)); Fête de la Nativité de la Vierge / pèlerinage Notre-Dame de Beauvoir (around 8 September); Les Écrans du Lac (summer (July–August, dates vary; screenings at the Domaine du Petit Lac)).

Sources and data freshness

Data verified on .
Sources: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moustiers-Sainte-Marie · https://www.moustiers.fr/ · https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa%C3%AFence_de_Moustiers · https://www.parcduverdon.fr/ · https://www.geo.fr/voyage/visiter-les-gorges-du-verdon-sans-voiture-nos-conseils-de-balades-dans-le-plus-grand-canyon-deurope-211245 · https://www.tourisme-alpes-haute-provence.com/

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