Botanic discovery at the Domaine de la Citadelle
A unique garden in an ocean of vines at Ménerbes
Duration:
2 hours
Price:
de 5€ to 4€
Type:
Visit
Parking :
free
An outstanding estate
This garden is one of the unmissable places to visit on a lovely spring afternoon
On the right, a stone’s throw from the village, panels indicating the place along with the Musée du tire-bouchon (corkscrew museum) are easily seen. After having left the road, the Estate’s olive-tree lined path appears. From then on, and for a 90-minute walk, you’ll meander between vineyard and forest, playing an open-air piano of scents.
Individuals visit the aromatic and botanical garden on their own, surrounded by the scents.
An enchanting setting
Losing yourself in the Garden
This typically Provençal path is already an invitation to wander. The vines on either side are well cared for, their furrows going on and on. After having gone the length of a path as far as the edge of the forest of holm oaks, downy oaks and hazel trees, two markers show the way. Benches and picnic tables are found here and there between two dry wall terraces along your way for you to take “cinemascope”-style reflective breaks.
Can there be a more appropriate place to have lunch?
Facing the valley, between the vines and aromatic herbs!
Did you know?
This garden is Yves Rousset-Rouard’s childhood dream. He was mayor of Ménerbes for 19 years and also producer of a several film collections like French-fried Vacation!
A stroll filled with scents and colours…
An abundance of colours and aromatic scents!
Make discoveries one after the other, such as bison grass which gives the famous Polish vodka its colour, then the curry plant. You can hardly believe your… nose. Caress the plants with your hand and smell the heady fragrance, it’s incredible! The different varieties of oregano – compact or marjoram, spicy or white… – give an unexpected range of colours, just like varieties of thyme and their shades of green.
During this time, the bees are at work on the spring onion bulbs.
Then the flowering sage. The orchid-shaped purple bells of clustered bellflower are as beautiful.
After the mint, spearmint or peppermint… other even more surprising and aromatic varieties can be smelt: apple mint, corn-mint, grapefruit-mint or even chocolate-mint, a real floral sweet shop!
Medicinal, wild or magic
Expert advice
What do Common Mallow and Crepis have in common? They are perfect in salads! Whereas comfrey is excellent in fritters.
Herbalist’s store and apothecary treasures
A rockery of succulents in the process of germination on the upper level starts the dry wall terrace of medicinal and wild plants that visitors love. Cactus nestled between two rocks seem to enjoy the coolness of the stone while small panels describe the uses and properties of each plant: Californian poppy, salad burnet – rich in vitamin C and able to stop haemorrhaging… A host of wild and edible plants that Yves Rousset-Rouard has kindly entrusted to an association of amateurs.
A visit with mysterious scents
Protective? Energising or toxic?
The secret of magic plants will not be revealed here. It is your turn to come and discover their mystery… Spend another few moments in this floral painting before going back down to the Museum where a tasting of the Citadelle’s wine ends the visit. This botanical and aromatic garden keeps its promises. And has already won its title of remarkable Garden. One to see!
Practical info
Contacts :
601 route de Cavaillon
84560 Ménerbes
Tél: +33 (0)4 90 72 41 58
contact@domaine-citadelle.com
Take the D900 then at Les Beaumettes, turn onto the D29 and then left on the D3
From spring to summer