<< In or Near La Maline || Refuges & Hostels >>

If you want to treat yourself well for all the hard work of the three-day hike in the gorges (or the taut nerves of the half-day drive!) then La Bastide de Moustiers (Chemin de Quinson, 04360 Moustiers Sainte Marie, ☎ 33 04 92 70 47 47, fax 33 04 92 70 47 48. contact@bastidemoustiers.com, www.bastide-moustiers.com, €€€-€€€€) is definitely the place to aim for. This elegant house on the edge of town once belonged to a master faïencier. Today it is owned by world-renowned chef, Alain Ducasse, who says he developed it as his own home away from home. The 12 rooms are individually decorated, in styles that range from romantic to rustic, with antiques and samples of Moustiers’ signature blue and white faïence. One room has a freestanding Empire-style bathtub, another a bath and shower suite designed by Philippe Starck.

All the chefs in the Michelin-starred restaurant have been trained by Ducasse. If you plan on dining here (more details in Where to Eat, below) carry your tenue de soirée (that’s French for smart duds) in your backpack.

You could, of course, save up for a meal here by staying at more moderately priced accommodations like La Bastide du Paradou (04360 Moustiers Sainte Marie, ☎ 33 04 92 74 13 60 and 33 04 92 74 67 97, fax 33 04 92 74 13 61, noaille@aol.com, http://bastide.paradou.free.fr/gb/index.htm, €-€€). This bastide is a restored 17th-century house featuring bare stone walls, whitewashed beams and gorgeous views.

Le Relais(04360 Moustiers Sainte Marie, ☎ 33 04 92 74 66 10, fax 33 04 92 74 60 47, Le.Relais@wanadoo.fr, www.provenceweb.com/04/ukrelais.htm, €-€€) has a tablecloth signed by Picasso testifying to the quality of the cooking. Rooms are comfortable, decorated like a cared for Provençal home and the hotel’s location, right in the center of town, near a scenic bridges over an abyss, can’t be beat. You won’t be able to peel yourself away from the terrace views.

La Ferme des Felines(Route de la Palud sur Verdon, 04360 Moustiers Sainte Marie, ☎ 33 04 92 74 64 19, contact@ferme-de-felines.com, www.ferme-de-felines.com) is not only a very good value, but it offers winter and early spring visitors the unusual opportunity of participating in a truffle hunt. A stylish and modern chambre d’hôte, with huge windows overlooking Lac Sainte Croix as well as a private path down to the lake, it’s located in the middle of a rich truffling territory. The owners, Francis and Rita Ravez, run truffle-hunting stays between December and March.

<< In or Near La Maline || Refuges & Hostels >>