Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE OCHRE TRAIL: ROUSILLON TO RUSTREL
COLORADO PROVENÇAL
Although ochre has been used in the Luberon since Roman times, it wasn't until 1785 that large deposits of the hy-
drated, oxidised iron-and-clay sands were industrially mined. In 1929, at the peak of the ochre industry, some
40,000 tonnes of ochre was mined around Apt. Traditionally used as a pigment to colour pots and buildings, ochre
comes in multiple shades, ranging from pale yellow and vivid orange to fire red and deep purple. Discover these vi-
brant hues in Roussillon's Sentier des Ocres (
Click here
)
or Gargas' ochre quarry (
Click here
)
.
Further afield, Luberon's biggest ochre site is just outside the tiny village of Rustrel (10km northeast of Apt),
gateway to the other-worldly formations of the
Colorado Provençal
( 04 32 52 09 75;
www.colorado-
provencal.com
; 9am-dusk)
. Remnant of a quarry, where ochre was mined from the 1880s until 1956, the savage
landscape has extraordinary rock formations, notably the fiery upright Cheminée de Fée (Fairy Chimney). It looks
like a slice of southwestern USA plunked down in France. Colour-coded trails lead from the car park, signposted
south of Rustrel village, off the D22 to Banon. Parking costs €4 (free November to March). A cafe serves lunch in
season. The red earth gets blazingly hot in summer: come early, carry water and wear hiking boots and hat.
Consider adding a two-hour visit to
Colorado Aventures
( 06 78 26 68 91;
www.colorado-aventures.com
;
adult/child €18/14; closed Jan; )
, a Tarzan-style obstacle course in the red-rock forest, including zip lines
rigged through treetops. The site, signposted off the D22, is a rocky 15-minute walk from the car parking; kids must
be at least 150cm tall. There's also a good nearby B&B, called
La Forge
( 04 90 04 92 22;
www.laforge.com.fr
;
Notre-Dame des Anges; d incl breakfast €120; no credit cards)
, hidden in the forest, inside a dramatic, 1840s vin-
tage iron foundry. In Rustrel,
L'Auberge de Rustréou
(
04 90 04 90 90; rustreou.hotel@orange.fr; 3 place de
la Fête; s/d/tr €48/54-58/63; menus €15-22;
Mar-Nov;
)
has clean, budget rooms and a good Provençal res-
taurant.
Information
Tourist Office
( 04 90 72 02 75;
www.gordes-village.com
; place du Château;
9am-
noon & 2-6pm)
Rousillon
Two millennia ago, the Romans used ochreous earth around Roussillon to make pottery
glaze. Today the hilltop village is defined by colour: it's a requirement that villagers tint
the façades of their homes with ochre - some 40 different shades, beige to purple. Its visu-
al charms are no secret: arrive early or late.
