Ochre sands
Ochre sands
Red, orange, yellow, infinite shades vibrate under the Luberon sun and contrast with the blue of the sky and the green of the pines. The ochre sands in the Luberon are a must. Beautiful natural sites, hilltop villages, colourful landscapes and easy itineraries through the ochre lands for the whole family.
The ochre sites have been used since Roman times. In 1780, Jean Etienne Astier from Roussillon industrialised the use of ochre. Operations prospered until the economic depression in the 1930’s. Today, one company, Guigou, la Société des ocres de France, continues to mine ochre in Gargas and in Rustrel. They sell ochre products in Apt.
Gargas owns the only area able to show the whole history of ochre processing, from the beginnings to the present day and last ochre industry in activity.
These little side-roads are ideal for visiting the ochre sites by car.
The GR6, GR97 and GR9 hiking tracks will take you through the ochre land. The paths are marked in red and white.
You can cycle through some of the most stunning scenery and villages in Luberon.
The beauty of the "Provencal Colorado" lies in the combination of nature and artifice that created it.
Off the beaten path, the La Bruyère ochre sands are a very special site for a hike in the heart of an abandoned ochre excavation area.
Direct sale of mineral ochre pigments from the Luberon, whitewashes, lime coatings and useful advice from producers for arts or handicraft.
This former ochre factory in Roussillon was built in 1921. At the time, the ochre sands from the nearby quarries were processed into pigment.
The famous Ochre trail has made the village of Roussillon a very popular place to visit.
