赭土步道

Le Sentier des Ocres (literally, the Ochre path) is almost an anomaly in the Roussillon region. The unique color of its sand not only gives it its name, it also has the potential to stay with you for a long time—make sure not to go wearing anything that’d you wouldn’t want ruined. Another issue that you may have with visiting the Path, especially during peak season, is accessing the tiny village of Roussillon and parking your car. You will not be the only one, and make sure to carefully read the rules, if any, of your parking spot before leaving your car. For example, many spots in town will require you to use a French “disque bleu” (blue disk) that allow you to park in blue zones.Also, make sure to bring your wallet, as there is an entrance fee of 10 euros/person. Once you pass the entrance, the Path itself is well defined, but don’t rush: it is steep and slippery (remember, it’s sand). But the visit of the small canyon is very resourcing, and it will take you at minimum 40min to get down, around, and back up.

You cannot believe how beautiful this is before visiting the place. In the village of Roussillon you find the former sand minding place. The sand is of special quality with a high quantity of iron oxide which gives the yellow, orange, ocra colour to the sand. Now a days the place is secure to visit and really a beauty. You walk on the colourful sand and see the various versions of the ocra sand.

Nice, but i think better just walk around in the village. So, go there, just id really have time or if you wiill come back twice to the village.

The views and colors here are spectacular. It is quite a bit of up and down to get into the area on a path and boardwalk, and then the walk itself is a lot more up and down. But you can go to the first several main viewing areas and turn back before you start the long downhill walk through the forest which later leads to a long uphill walk! It is worth the time and money to see this place that is so different from everywhere else. If you put some of this sandy material on your hand, it will brush off and leave your hand just the slightest bit discolored. If you go to the ochre processing facility nearby and do the same thing, you hand will be stained beyond belief and you must head to the nearest washroom. The difference is in the concentration of the colorant occurring naturally (here) and at the processing facility. All utterly fascinating.

In the heart of the ochre massif, deposited by the sea many millions of years ago, and of the village of Roussillon, visit a landscape created by the extraction of 40,000 T. of this pigment into the 20th century. All the geological and industrial periods are explained in French and in English.

Lovely view in a charming town. Worth the drive from Gordes. Be careful on the return drive as there aren't many signs. We lost our GPS directions, but managed to find our way back to our cottage.

This is the great place for short hike in the area(suitable for kids, no strollers). The rocks are very unusual and looks amazing on the sunny day. Must in the area!

This small hike takes one through the Ochre mining hills above Roussillon and can be accomplished in about an hour. There are sign plaques in French and English along the way at points of interest that explain the geology and the local history. The quarry path is steep and can be a bit slick in wet weather and does not appear to be handicap friendly. Nevertheless, when in Roussillon this is kind of a "must do" and well worth the low cost ticket and the hour or so expended. Below the quarry and all through the town one can purchase powdered paint pigments from the area that may be of interest for hobby painters.

Having had an interesting driving misadventure on the highway we had to detour to Roussillon by chance as there were no garage open and we didnt want to be driving for long distance..we had a tyre puncture and had to wait till Monday for a replacement as we had speciality tyres. Awoken early on Sunday morning at 7 am, we found out that the Ocres only opened at 9 am. We were bored waiting around, we decided to venture and walked about behind the village and saw a path which led us to the red earth area. It has walking trails and we believed they were used by the local villagers. It was a sight to behold. Huge pine corns were littering the ground and the smell of pine were so heavenly. The red soil or clay was so bright. We decided that we should try climbing the ocres slowly.It took us close to an hour to trek around as we have to scale upward. Once on top the view was amazing n again as this was not part of the original touristic part..so please be careful. We didnt have to pay for entrance fees as we were using trails normally used by the locals. We ended up going thru behind the village club. Its off the beaten track. Proper trekking shoes is a must here. Enjoy the walk!

For a memorable experience, why not hike through a former quarry in Roussillon, France? The village in Provence is the world's largest ochre vein. There are different hikes and I walked the 35 minute short yellow route. At times, I felt as if I were in an artist's palette. The yellow, orange and red blends are spectacular. There are informative plaques along the way to explain the area. There are gift shops and washrooms on site. The village is set on a cliff and it is a lovely walkabout with caves for ice cream, coffee and sweets. Lovely photo opportunities everywhere. Hint: the ochre may stain so they recommend brushing your clothes/ shoes then washing with cold water. I just wore my old yet sturdy shoes!

Yes, this is a touristy village but frankly, I don't know which village isn't somewhat touristy as they all cater to tourists in some way or the other. I don't understand the sentiment against "touristy" when you, yourself, are a tourist. It's not like you're a local.We are a family with two little kids. This natural attraction with a minimal fee was perfect for us. We eschewed all the restaurants and souvenir shops (it can be done) and took a walk around the village which is extremely picturesque. But the highlight of our day was Le Sentier des Ocres. The kids colored themselves with the pigment and it delighted them to no end. It paved the way for an easy geography lesson and our 4 yr old and 2 1/2 yr old were easily entertained. While it's not as majestic as the Bryce or Grand canyons, it has its own beauty and we loved being able to do the short walk with ease. Highly recommend. We did end up eating ice cream after we left the park. The "lavande" flavor was a hit with all of us and we ended up hunting it thereafter.

le sentier is enjoyable. What you should avoid is Roussillon all together. It is a super touristy place, with pizza parlors and souvenir shops everywhere. It feels like being in a small disnayland. If you would like to visit the luberon pick a little town off the tourist path and enjoy the real Provence.

If you are in Provence you must visit. We took the longer hike, about 1.5 miles, and were awestruck by the beauty of this place. The red rock formations are reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. Absolutely spectacular!

The first impression is really powerfull. Beautiful cliff full of colours. The walk is not too long so you will not get bored on the way. It has two circuits one shorter and one longer. The price for the ticket is the same no matter which one you will go because it just allows you to enter the area. It means that if it will interest you, you can take a long circuit and if not, the short one will be enough.

A well done trail through the ochre cliffs, with informative signs along the way. Wear good shoes as the powdery ochre can be a little slippery - and it stains light colored clothes! We chose the shorter of two trails, and enjoyed the 30-40 minutes it took to walk. I echo others' comments about the lovely views and learning about the history of the ochre manufacture. Really fun!