Rustrel, dominated by a castle and attached to the 1000 metres high "Big Mountain", reveals to the south, the Colorado Provençal and its thousand colours. The original settlement, the pre-Roman oppidum, is located on the "Pointu massif” at 900m high. The medieval village destroyed in 1392 by Raymond de Turenne, stood in the “Grand Combe, Villevieille”. The latter, occupied for a time by the Nuclear Weapons Fire-control Station of the Plateau d’Albion, has been converted into a “Low Noise Inter-Disciplinary Underground compound dedicated to science and research.
At the heart of the village, the old 18th c. oil mill, the 16th c. Church de la Nativité de Notre Dame, the 17TH c. Castle-town hall, the Renaissance style Castelet (private). Rustrel enjoys a awesome nature. Hiking enthusiasts are invited to follow the Baume de Midi Trail, which pays tribute to forest workers and the production of charcoal. The 2 toponymy trails of the Big Mountain with their 6 reading tables give a very interesting information on the history of the localities. The Water Walk takes us in the track of the fountains, the Marquise wash-house, the calvaries, the Saint-Roch oratory.
Making the best use of natural resources, the inhabitants of Rustrel also created a balance between the market gardens of the valleys watered by the Doa and the ochre sites of the hills exploited from 1880 to the 1950’s.
Today, these former quarries named "Colorado Provençal "by François Morenas are open partly to the public. While exploring them, you will be on a private site which owes its beauty to the work of four generations of farmers and ochre miners.
