Roussillon, Provence, France
Roussillon is an exceptional town in Provence, about 10 km east of Gordes, in the heart of the Luberon National Park. Its exceptionality lies in the fact that town's buildings are in all ocher colors and the town itself is located in the middle of the area of geographical distribution of this natural pigment. There is a disused ochre mine nearby, open to the public.
Parking in Roussillon
You can get to the town by narrow but quite fine local roads. The parking lot Des Ocres (1; GPS: 43.901340, 5.294541) is located not far from the town center, near the abandoned ochre mine. You should however be very careful at the parking lot entrance because for the last 100 meters the road leads through a very narrow, steep street where appear lots of pedestrians and cars leaving the parking lot. That's why we prefer another parking lot - Des Sablons (2; GPS: 43.902461, 5.290019) located at the western border of the town. The distance to the center is really short, so you can easily walk there (and as well enjoy your walk). There is also another parking lot available: it's called De La Fontaine (3; GPS: 43.903203, 5.292862) and it's located at the northern borders of the village. Remember that all parking lots are paid.
Strolling the town
First, you can go to the Place de la Mairie (A; GPS 43.902502, 5.292878), where the seat of local government is located. There are also nice restaurants where you can refresh and enjoy a meal. Then you can climb the narrow streets to the highest point where the St. Michel church (B; GPS: 43.902815, 5.292237) was built. On your way you pass the clock tower. Very beautiful views of the town as well as its surroundings are available during the walk and from the vantage point (C; GPS: 43.901561, 5.295340), located next to the Des Ocres parking. There was also erected a modern sundial.
Sentier des Ocres
If you want to see the play of all colors of ochre, you should visit the inactive, open pit ochre mine (Sentier des Ocres). The mine entrance (D; GPS: 43.900645, 5.296108) is also near Des Ocres parking. The admission ticket to the mine costs only 2.5€ so the visit is an absolute must with a truly memorable experience.
Joucas
Being in the area you can also visit Joucas - a small town located only 6 km north-west of Roussilon. It is, like most of the local villages, located on the slope of the hill. It is worth walking cobbled streets to admire old, stone houses and wooden sculptures made by local people. From the village you can clearly see the plains surrounding the colorful Roussillon hills.
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