Seen from below, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie looks like it has been wedged into a crack in the cliff. A pair of limestone crags rise above the village, and between them hangs a star on a long chain, a golden ornament that has been renewed many times since the legend of a knight who vowed to hang one there after returning safely from the Crusades. The story is probably more charming than historical, but it gives the place its signature image, and you can see the star glinting from the road on a bright day.
The village sits at the western doorway of the Gorges du Verdon, around six hundred metres up, with a stream running through the middle and stone houses stacked up the slope. It was famous long before tourists arrived for its faience, a tin-glazed pottery with delicate blue and green designs that was made here from the seventeenth century, and workshops and boutiques still crowd the lanes. A steep path of some two hundred and sixty steps climbs to the chapel of Notre-Dame de Beauvoir, which commands a wide view over the roofs and the plateau beyond.
Riding to Moustiers is one of the good things about Provence. From Riez the road across the plateau passes lavender fields and almond orchards, and then winds up into the narrow valley and the gorge country, with views over the turquoise Lac de Sainte-Croix nearby. The bends are quick, the surface mostly smooth, and the light in the early morning is superb, though the summer crowds of cars and campervans can slow everything to a crawl by mid-morning. Come in June or September and the village feels like itself again.
The big caveat is parking: the village is small, the car parks fill early in July and August, and the lanes are too narrow for anything but walking. Park at the edge and stroll in. There are plenty of cafes, ice-cream stalls and restaurants, many with terraces over the stream, and a plate of the local lamb or a simple salad and a glass of rosé can be had for a fair price outside peak times.
For fuel, do not rely on the village: Riez is the nearest town of any size, and Digne-les-Bains is the major centre in the district, so fill up before heading into the hills.