Ochre Trail: Roussillon and Provencal Colorado

Two days of walking in the ochres of the Luberon, quarried industrially from 1780 to 1930 for pigment and now leaving a landscape of red cliffs and fairy chimneys. The route links Roussillon and its Sentier des Ocres, a signed one-hour loop through the old workings, the Colorado Provencal at Rustrel with tones running from pale yellow to blood red, the Bruoux mines at Gargas where underground galleries fifteen metres high can be visited, then Apt, capital of candied fruit. Ochre permanently stains pale shoes and clothing, so wear dark colours. The Roussillon trail charges admission and closes in wet weather. Late-afternoon light makes the colours far more intense.