The Ochre Trail

Used since Antiquity, ochre was used locally by the Romans. In 1780, Jean Etienne Astier, a man from Roussillon, began to produce it industrially. The ochre quarries thrived until the recession in the 1930s. Today only the Guigou company still exploits ochre in Gargas and Rustrel and sells it in Apt.

• Ochre Walking Tours
The GR6, GR97 and GR9 hiking tracks will take you through the ochre land. The paths are marked in red and white.
There are a number of guided walking tours are available :
- In Gargas: the Bruoux cliffs: guided tours, by arrangement.
- In Rustrel: Colorado Provençal.
- In Roussillon: the Ochre Trail.
- In Villars: La Bruyère ochre quarry.

• Ochre Cycling Tours
You can cycle through some of the most stunning scenery and villages in Luberon.
50 km (31 miles) of clearly signposted routes with different coloured markings:
Green: towards Apt-Gargas-Roussillon-Villars-Rustrel
Red ochre: towards Apt-Rustrel-Villars-Roussillon-Gargas
Yellow ochre: paths that link the other two tracks.
In each of the villages there are signposts with useful information on sightseeing etc.

• By Car
These little side-roads are ideal for visiting the ochre sites by car.
After Apt, head for Rustrel along the D22, through the hamlets of Jean-Jean. As you arrive in Rustrel there's a roundabout: take the D 179 for St Saturnin, then head for Villars. (D 214). Continue towards Gargas along the D11, then the D83. In Gargas take the D101, and the D227 towards Roussillon. Head back to Apt via the D 104 and D 201, then N100.

• Places to buy ochre ?
Ets Chauvin - Route de Viton Apt tel. 04 90 74 21 68
Ocres de France - Ets Guigou avenue Victor hugo Apt tel. 04 90 74 63 82