The village seen from the Ochre Trail parking lot
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The village seen from the Ochre Trail parking lot |
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Roussillon is famous for the rich deposits of ochre found in the clay near the village. Ochre is a natural earth pigment containing hydrated iron oxide, which ranges in color from yellow to deep orange or brown. This explains why Roussillon is such a colorful village: the walls of virtually every house are covered with a plaster that is tinted with various shades of ochre. A visit had been recommended to us by a colleague, and a few weeks after that, we saw some footage of Roussillon on television. A visit was becoming inescapable, and on October 26, 2013, we finally managed to take a day trip to this truly wonderful place that is sometimes called Le Colorado provençal.
We began our visitby exploring the village, enjoying a tasty lunch on a sun-drenched terrace, and finally walking along the sentier des ocres, Ochre Trail.
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Carpe Diem |
Place Jean Eynard |
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Rue de la Poste |
Ochre cliffs seen from the village |
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Garage doors |
Rue Casteau |
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Town Hall |
Heading up |
Looking out |
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Looking up at the clock tower |
Village view |
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Leafy canopy |
Textures |
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Roussillon colors |
Ochre wall |
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Looking down into the village... |
...and to the northeast. |
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Place de la Mairie |
Place de l'Eglise |
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The view from the top |
The plain |
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The clock tower |
Narrow village street |
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Heading back down |
The view from our lunch table |
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Faustine en Janvier |
End of summer |
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Village street |
Rough and smooth |
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Past and present |
The village from the beginning of the Ochre Trail |
During the 18th century, as the textile industry became more and more industrialized, the demand for pigments rose dramatically. Ochre mining in Roussillon intensified, and ochre quarries employed several thousand workers. By 1930, all mining activity had stopped, and today ochre mining is strictly prohibited in order to protect a truly beautiful site. The Ochre Trail has been set up to allow visitors to walk through the old quarries and take in the colorful formations.
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In the middle of the old ochre quarry |
The color is stunning |
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The deep red... |
...and the bright orange... |
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...contrast beautifully with the green vegetation. |
Some of the ochre is almost purple |
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The trails are coated with a fine ochre powder |
The terrain is tricky, so one has to stay on the trails |
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Depending on the light, the colors change dramatically |
It's a long way down! |
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On the Ochre Trail |
A last look at the end of the trail |
These, as well as a few other photographs taken in Roussillon, are available in one of our web galleries.
Among other things, the gallery allows viewing the photos as a slide show. Check it out!
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