Discover Rustrel

Rustrel offers several specific reasons to stay: the “Tour du Colorado provençal” circular route, the “Promenade de l'Eau” to the village fountains, and historic sites in the village. The circular route is 12.2 kilometres long and takes about four hours.

Colorado Provençal: Circular Route and Landscape

The “Tour du Colorado provençal” circular route is 12.2 kilometres long and takes about four hours. It starts and ends at the car park in Rustrel town centre. Allow for the approximate duration when planning, and check trail conditions before setting out. The paid “Parking des Mille couleurs – Colorado provençal” car park provides parking near the hiking trail starting point. Check local parking conditions before travelling, too.

Colorado Provençal was an open-pit mine for ochre extraction in the 19th and 20th centuries. The landscapes today have been shaped by human labour in ochre mining and by natural erosion. The area is classified as a historic natural monument.

Architectural History in Rustrel

Rustrel Church was originally built around 1200 by the Bishop of Apt. The main construction phases of Chapelle Notre-Dame-des-Anges and the ruins of its hermitage date back to the 14th and 17th centuries. A decree dated 21 October 1986 listed the chapel and ruins as historic monuments. Château de Rustrel is partly classified as a historic monument and partly listed as a historic monument. The protection designations apply to different types of sites: Colorado Provençal is classified as a historic natural monument; Chapelle Notre-Dame-des-Anges and the ruins of its hermitage are listed as historic monuments. At Château de Rustrel, the classification and listing each apply only to parts of the site.

Oil Mill and Village Fountains

At the Musée du moulin à huile in Rustrel, local history is intertwined with olive oil production. The museum is housed in an 18th-century oil mill that operated until the early 1930s. The museum still displays the entire olive oil production process: the rope drive, oil filter, boiler, settling and storage containers, as well as the so-called “enfers”. As visiting arrangements may change, check them before your visit.

The “Promenade de l'Eau” in Rustrel village is a way to discover the village fountains. Route details may change; check the information before setting out. The “Tour du Colorado provençal” is a 12.2-kilometre circular route that takes about four hours; it starts and ends at the car park in Rustrel town centre. The “Promenade de l'Eau” in the village is a way to discover the village fountains.

Discover more destinations: Menerbes, Murs, Ansouis, Montfavet, Faucon, Sannes, Gignac, Valreas.

For the broader travel overview: Vaucluse.