Located in the south of France, near the gorgeous canyon river of the Gorges du Verdon, the Colorado Provençal is a must do during a Luberon itinerary
The Ancient Ochre Quarries of le Colorado de Rustrel, Provence, France Located close to the Roman town of Apt are the ancient ochre quarries of Rustrel - le Colorado de Rustrel with their stunning cliffs of multicoloured rock created by the mining that took place here during the 19th and 20th Centuries. and shaped by the elements. There are several circuits that take you around the earth pillars, the Sahara, the Cirque de Barriès, waterfalls, the river of sand, the tunnel… the shapes and landscapes of today are the result of human activity (stopped in 1956) and erosion. Part of the route des ocres - along with ochre quarries at Roussillon and the Mines de Bruoux - the craggy cliffs at le Colorado de Rustrel display vivid shades of oranges and red, with the startling natural pigments clearly defined in the layers of rocks, all wonderfully illuminated by the blue provençal skies and sunshine. This stunning walk along the purpose built path, through the cliffs runs from Barriés to Notre Dame des Anges. Along the way various pieces of equipment are displayed, including, pumps, sluice gates and settling basins that were all used here over the years to extract the ochre from the rocks. Visitors are free to roam along the route but are asked to respect the fragile environment, to stay on the path and not take any of the ochre rock away from the site.
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Photo credit: © Manfred Glueck / Alamy / Afripics
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