Friends and others headed to Provence often ask where they should go during a once in a lifetime seven-day visit to Provence. This a hard question as most visitors have only 6 days since they usually arrive on Saturday afternoon and depart the following Sunday. There are so many wonderful things to see.
There is something for everyone in Provence; there are amazing Roman ruins and medieval villages for history buffs, lavender, sunflowers and coquelicots (poppies) for artists, weekly marche hebdomadaire (open-air markets with tantalizing displays of fruits and vegetables), great restaurants for foodies, and world-famous vineyards for wine lovers.
There are perched villages everywhere, summer music and theater festivals, bull fights and the Transhumance for lovers of spectacles, brocantes and vide-greniers for antique hunters, Mont Ventoux for amateur cyclists who want to test their skills on the most famous ascent on the Tour de France, the Dentelles de Montmirail for hikers and picturesque villages with beaches along the Mediterranean Sea.
We usually suggest a visitors include a trip to the vibrant red-ocher colored town of Roussillon, one of five villages nestled in the Luberon hills which are classified as Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most beautiful villages of France). Roussillon is one of our favorite villages and just one hour from Sablet.
The Luberon stretches 35 miles along a ridge of rugged hills from Cavaillon in the west to Manosque in the east and from the town of Apt south to the Durance River. Much of the area including Roussillon lies within the borders of the Parc Naturel Regional du Luberon, a protected area with outstanding natural beauty.
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| Ocher colored houses outside Roussillon |
Roussillon sits on the southern edge of the Plateau de Vaucluse above one of the world's largest known ocher deposits where 17 shades of ocher -- violet, blood red, orange, yellow, and everything between were once mined.
Just a few minutes' walk from the village is the beginning of the Sentier des Ocres (Ocher trail). Ocher is a natural pigment in the sandy soil which form the cliffs around Roussillon. Iron oxides color the sands into shades ranging from yellow to violet. The mineral landscape shows the effects of erosion and mining work done by man.
Two different trails, one short, one long takes you through the ocher lands on a 30-minute or 60-minute walk. You can stay as long as you like. Information signs along the way describe the geology, flora and history of the ocher deposits in the Luberon. The trails take you past multi-colored ocher formations set against a backdrop of pine trees. There is a small admission fee.
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| Ocher cliff outside Roussillon |
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| Water fountain in Roussillon |
Roussillon must have more restaurants per head of population than any other Luberon village. Most are clustered around Town Hall Square. A little lower down, with its dining room sailing out into the ocher void, is the more upscale David.
The belfry was the ancient entrance into the fortified area called the Castrum. The belfry was renovated in the 19th century as a bell tower adjoining the church. The first street on the left takes you along the former watchman's walkway, which ran between the two towers on the rampart wall. There are great views of the village and surrounding area.
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| Roussillon belfry and clock tower |
Saint Michel Church whose origins go back to the 11th century, originally faced the castle, inside the fortified walls. The church has undergone countless renovations over time, necessitated in part by its location by the cliff.
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| Saint Michel Church |
Ocher only became a widespread, industrial product in the late 18th century when Roussillon native son Jean-Etienne Astier came up with the idea of washing the ocher-laden sands to extract the pure pigment.
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| View towards village cemetery from top of Roussillon |
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| Archway view out over the Luberon valley |
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| Town Hall Square |
As you can imagine, the beauty of Roussillon draws crowds of visitors during tourist season. It is the most visited village in the Luberon after Gordes, a few miles to the west. Despite this, we have never had any problem finding parking close to the village.
We think its best to visit in the morning when the first sunshine of the day strikes the village, to see the glowing colors at their most stunning. Roussillon is fairly small, so it doesn't take very long to explore. So combine a visit to Roussillon with a visit to Gordes or other hill towns in the Luberon.
Don't forget your camera when you go, you will definitely want to take a lot of pictures.
