The Ochres by bike

7 points of interest

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  Geology

  Ochre

  The ochre sands result from a deep chemical modification of green marine sands. About 100 million years ago, green sands emerged and were altered under a hot and humid climate which transformed into ochre sands. It is from these sands extracted in underground quarries or open-pit mines that ochre has been operated. Warning, sampling of ochre sands in the natural environment is prohibited!

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  Patrimony and history

  Ochre processing

  Through washing, then decanting in large basins, to drying, crushing and baking, a large scale of natural pigment was made, with a variety of colours. Developed in the late 18th century, the industrial process for making ochre pigment reaches its high point in the 1920s. Today, the Société des Ocres de France still operates a quarry in Gargas and produces 1200 tons of ochre per year.

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  Fauna

  Nesting boxes for Athena

  The Little Owl (also known as the Owl of Athena) is a cave-dwelling species needing to find holes in old trees and small rural buildings. During the renovation of the farm huts, it is necessary to either make as little noise as possible or to put a replacement nest box for the owl's reproduction.

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  Panorama

  Stones and ochre of the Calavon valley

  This agricultural valley with cherry trees, vineyards and orchards, is opened onto many hilltop villages which are strong calling points in the landscape. The exceptional presence of ochre in the form of richly coloured cliffs and structures with multicoloured coatings are the special features of this territory.

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  Panorama

  A viewpoint on the ochre

  Make a detour through the landscaped viewpoint of Roussillon, a securing project carried out in 2015 by the Luberon RNP as part of the "Opération Grand Site" (Sustainable Tourism project). This way, you can enjoy the panoramas opening on ochreous cliffs and views of the village of Roussillon, proof of the ochre activity (coloured coated façades ...). Following the signage on site, you will be able to discover the origin of these colourful cliffs and ochre uses.

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  Savoir-faire

  Ochre Conservatory

  The Ochre Conservatory is established in the Mathieu factory. It is an old ochre factory which used to produce about 1000 tons of ochre per year between 1921 and 1963. The washing systems, the town oven and the mills have been restored in order to understand the different stages of ore processing, from extraction to shipping. Through visiting the site and the workshops, discover one of the finest jewels of the industrial ochre heritage, turned into a training centre on ochre and colour!

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  Produits du terroir

  Cherry in the Luberon

  With the Gard department, the Vaucluse department is the largest producer of table cherries. The "Burlat" and the "Bigarreau" (also known as the Royal Ann cherry) are the most cultivated varieties in the Luberon. You can consume while fresh in summer or enjoy the main speciality of Apt:: candied cherry. Apt produces more than 10000 tons of candied fruits annually.! Many fruits have been preserved there since the 14th century, a real know-how.! Today, Apt remains the world capital of candied fruit.