Roussillon in Provence

Approaching Roussillon in Provence by chance, and without knowing in which landscape the village is situated, one is first struck by the change in color of the scenery.

Up to that moment, Provence is the classic postcard version: lavender fields, plenty of greenery, rolling hills, and some mountains.

In Roussillon, however, you enter a true desert: the land turns red, yellow, and orange, taking on all the shades of ochre.

It is for this reason that the territory around Roussillon is called the Ochre Country, something different from Provence but also, in some ways, authentically Provençal.

The village, considered one of the most beautiful in France, is best visited at sunset.

Roussillon takes its name from the red of its lands, which are actually also yellow and orange.

Here, everything is colored like this: not only the land but also the facades of public and private buildings, the sides of the hills, the walls of the houses.

From this land, pigments are extracted to produce tempera, watercolors, and colored pencils.

There are many artists' studios here where they come to paint, sell their paintings, and many live here as well.

Roussillon doesn't have any significant monuments, but it's beautiful to stroll (and climb) up to the tower after passing the Town Hall, countless souvenir shops, bars, and little restaurants.

Here, even the faces of the people coming back from the "Ochre Trail" are red, following a spectacular route in nature surrounded by colored stones. A walk of about 45 minutes in a canyon all the color of ochre where you enter clean and exit covered in dust. It's not easy, and sometimes not even pleasant, but it's a must-see. Ticket price is 2.50 euros, open until sunset.