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| Moustiers-Sainte-Marie | ||
| region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | |
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| Residents | 711 (2018) | |
| height | 474 m, 1,729 m | |
| Tourist info | 33 4 92 74 67 84 http://www.moustiers.eu | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is a Provencal mountain village in French Department Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the place not far from the Verdon Gorge and des Lac de Sainte-Croix is also known for its faience pottery.
background
The first settlements of monks from the Lerins monastery in caves in the area of the present-day place arose around the 5th century, at the time of the invasion of the Moors the population withdrew to the mountains. Around the 12th century. the village was fortified, mills were built and the parish church and the Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir chapel were rebuilt on top of the mountain.
With King Louis XIV's command to melt down gold and silver tableware in favor of the state box, the demand for high-quality porcelain tableware in aristocratic circles in Europe was high. This served Moustiers right after the art of making white glazed faïence had been learned by a traveling Italian monk and faïence from Moustiers immediately became an export product to the European courts. After 200 years, the faience manufactories began to decline, in 1927 a kiln was put back into operation and the tradition continued.
Moustiers is in the Verdon Regional Nature Park between the Plateau de Valensole, the Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Verdon Gorge to Castellane and is a destination for those interested in hiking and water sports, especially in summer.
getting there
By plane
The closest airports are those of Marseille-Provence (Web) and Nice-Cote d'Azur (Web).
By train
The closest train stations are those of Manosque the SNCF respectively Digne-les-Bains the Chemin de Fer de Provence.
By bus
Bus connections from Moustiers persist after Riez two to three times a day (from there connections with Manosque and Digne-les-Bains) and thanks to the line Castellane - Moustiers - Riez until after Marseille.
There is also a bus connection to Aups in the south.
In the street
The fastest road connection is the one via Lyon - Valence on the A7 - Autoroute du Soleil, continue a short section on the A8 and then from the south on the A51 to 
Vinon / Cadarache and beyond Gréoux-les-Bains and Riez or over Manosque and from there over Manosque, Valensole and Riez, from where the D952 to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and on to the Lac de Sainte-Croix leads.
Whoever crosses the Verdon Gorge by private vehicle from Castellane coming from the D952 has bypassed, comes from the south Moustiers.
From the south of the French Riviera resp. the A8 coming here offers the way over Draguignan and Aups on, all entrances lead over quite winding country roads.
mobility
People move around on foot, and in the summer months there was a shuttle bus service to the Lac de Sainte-Croix set up.
Tourist Attractions
- A 135 m long chain stretches between two mountain peaks above the Chapelle-de-Notre-Dame, from which the gold-plated one hangs Star of Moustiers: A gold-plated five-pointed star is suspended from the chain, which weighs 150 kg. There are legends about the history of this star, one of which says that the star was dedicated to Our Lady by the crusader Blacas as thanks for his safe return to Moustiers.
- over the river L'Adou one tenses 1 Bridge, a little south of the remains of a building used for irrigation purposes 2 aqueduct .
- The second river, the Riouwhich forms a waterfall a little upstream. At the one leading to the Riou Rue de la Clappe is this 3 Porte du Riou, City gate and remains of the city fortifications from the 15th century. receive.
- the parish church 4 Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption dates from the 12th century. and, like the mighty church tower, is made in the Romanesque style. In 1336/61 a renovation in the Gothic style was started under Prior Pierre de Pratis, which was then limited to the choir, which is not quite in the axis of the rest of the building. A relief-decorated marble sarcophagus from the 4th century was found as an altar. its reuse.
- also in the Romanesque style in the 12th century. was built the 5 Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir, (ND de la Roche), the choir was later rebuilt in the Gothic style, the wooden portal is from the Renaissance. A stairway with 262 steps leads to the chapel, which can be seen from far above the village. From the terrace in front of the chapel there is a beautiful view over the village down to the Lac de Sainte-Croix.
- On the panorama path above the town to the west, one arrives at 6 Sainte-Madeleine grotto .
- The 7 Chapelle Sainte-Anne was in the 16th century. Erected from reused building material from the fortification walls, later the cemetery was annexed to it.
- 8 Faïence Museum / Musée de la Faïence. Tel.: 44 4 92 74 61 64, Email: [email protected]. Open: Nov-Dec / Feb-March 2 pm-5pm, on weekends and during the holidays, closed on Tuesdays; April-Oct. 10.00-12.30 / 14.00-18.00, closed on Tuesdays; July-August 10: 00-12: 30/14: 00-19: 00, Tue free admission.
activities
- Hiking on the designated 1 ancient roman path and on the 2 Tréguier botanical trail. Further hiking opportunities exist in the area of the Gorges du Verdon, so the signposted hiking trail 3 Colle de l'Olivier .
- Water sports, swimming, paddling, sailing on the Lac de Sainte-Croix
- Hiking, climbing and canyoning in the Verdon Gorge
shop
- Ceramic: Faïences de Moustiers with the classic blue drawing on a white background and modern colorful designs
- Products from the region: olive oil, Lavender essence and Lavender honey
- the Provencal weekly market with numerous suppliers of products from the region takes place on Friday morning instead, in the high season in July and August there is also a market with local products on Tuesday evening.
kitchen
The informs about the numerous restaurants Website of the tourist office.
nightlife
accommodation
The Website of the tourist office. In particular, there are numerous campsites in Moustiers as well as on Lac de Sainte-Croix, in summer it is to be expected that the places will be fully booked, which is why a reservation is recommended.
security
The security situation in the mountainous hinterland in Provence is harmless, valuables should not obviously be left in the vehicle.
On climbing and canyoning tours in the Verdon Gorge you should only venture with the appropriate experience and under expert guidance (preferably by a local tour operator who is familiar with the local conditions), the signposted descents are usually secured, but steep but safe.
health
- there is one in Moustiers itself 4 Basic care practice (Tel .: 04 92 74 66 20) and one 5 Pharmacy, the nearest hospitals can be found in Riez, Digne-les-Bains and Manosque
Practical advice
- Office de Tourisme de Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Maison de Lucie / Place de l’Eglise. Tel.: (0)4 92 74 67 84, Email: [email protected].
trips
- Riez. After Riez to the weekly market.
- Plateau de Valensole. Especially at the time of lavender ripening and harvest (June / July).
literature
Web links
- http://www.ville-moustiers-sainte-marie.fr/ - Official website of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
- Website From the tourist office, under Other> Brochures, an information brochure, a map and an event calendar are available for download.
