Peypin: Medieval Castle Ruins and Mining History

Peypin offers several different starting points for a stay: medieval ruins, the history of coal mining, natural surroundings in the south of the commune, and options related to vineyards, olive groves and equestrian sports. If you are looking for hotels in Peypin, the focus of your trip can help you put the destination into context. Historic buildings and industrial history tell different sides of the place; the natural surroundings and specific activities appeal to other interests.

Le Castellas: medieval ruins

Le Castellas was built in 1150 by Pierre Brémond. The present-day ruins consist of two towers, 97-metre-long defensive walls and a vaulted room in the keep. The period of construction and the surviving structures complement each other: the year and the builder anchor the history of the site, while the architectural elements mentioned describe what remains. The 97 metres give the defensive walls a concrete scale; the vaulted room is part of the keep. If you are interested in Peypin’s medieval history, you will find both a clear historical connection and specific architectural details here. This distinguishes Le Castellas from the later evidence of mining history, without conflating the subjects.

Mining history and architectural heritage

Coal was extracted in the mines of Valdonne, where it is known regionally as lignite. The mining history is also brought to life by a commemorative stele for the miners: erected in 2005, it can be seen at the Puits Castellane site on the Route de Gréasque. Extraction and remembrance offer different ways into this chapter: the mines represent the extraction of the raw material, while the stele commemorates the miners. Another historical subject is the Château de Valdonne. It was classified as a Monument historique in 1986 because of its architectural richness. The château is currently privately owned and is not open to visitors. Check its access status again before your trip.

Nature in Peypin

The Natura 2000 designation concerns the southern part of the commune, which belongs to the SAC FR9301603 “Chaîne de l'Etoile- massif du Garlaban”. The protected area covers 12 communes. This means that the nature-conservation designation is clearly defined geographically, while also forming part of an area that extends beyond Peypin. Another natural feature of Peypin is Duvalius auberti, a cave beetle with a very limited distribution. Together, the protected area and the beetle represent different scales of the nature theme: an area covering 12 communes and a narrowly distributed species.

Vineyard, olive grove and equestrian sports

The Sentier découverte – Domaine de la Roque Forcade offers a free way to discover the vineyard and olive grove of the Château de la Roque Forcade. Check the current visiting arrangements before your visit. The Yearling Club in Peypin offers riding lessons and courses; non-members can also take part. Check current availability in advance. The activities have different focuses: the Sentier découverte centres on the vineyard and olive grove, while the Yearling Club offers riding lessons and courses. For your stay, you can therefore choose between discovering these two areas and an activity related to equestrian sports.

Discover more travel destinations: Eyguières, Ceyreste, Grans, Le Tholonet, Cabannes, Gignac-La-Nerthe, Coudoux, Carro

For the broader travel overview: Bouches Du Rhone.