The material and landscape adventure> Poetry, landscape and pastoral heritage
Step 2
alt_route Oppedette the perched village
The name of this village perched on a rocky outcrop comes from an oppidum (fortified town from Roman times). It dominates a canyon formed following the lifting of the mountain of Lure and the plateau of Vaucluse and dug by the passage of Calavon, whose name would mean "Rivière de Pierre".
Opedette has all the characteristics of a typical Provencal village: exposed stones, narrow streets ... If, on the walls, you see a brown stone, almost yellow, it is limestone molasse, called Pierre du Midi, a rock that is very present in the Luberon.
Make the loop "La traverse de l'chelle" from the belvederes car park which passes through the village of Oppedette.
The upstream loop: crossing the ladder
Level: Difficult
Duration: 2 hour
Type: Buckle
Length: 2 km
Elevation gain: 141 m
Departure / Arrival: Belvederes car park
Vigilance: Sporting, aerial and technical passages (handrails, ladder, etc.) for experienced hikers, fording
More informations: http://www.cheminsdesparcs.fr/pedestre/la-traverse-de-lechelle/
Take the “Les terre du Four” loop from the Grand Vallat car park, then take the car to go to the belvederes car park to enjoy the view of the gorges and make a return trip to the village of Oppedette.
The downstream loop: the lands of the Four
Level: Easy
Duration: 1 hour
Type: Buckle
Elevation gain: 50 m
Departure / Arrival: Grand Vallat car park
Learn more
The hilltop villages of Provence
At the end of the Roman Empire and at the time of the great invasions, settlements perched to defend themselves from invasions, bands of brigands and, later, feudal feuds.
The forms of perching are very variable: absolute or wrapped around a height as in Forcalquier, Mane, Simiane-la-Rotonde, on the high side of a valley, on a spur like Oppedette ...
The houses rise like towers of several floors and protect themselves from the weather thanks to an organization of the floors by function: between the heat of the animals in the barn and the stable on the ground floor and the insulation of the attic , the living area in the middle is protected. Take a good look: you can still see some houses with a pulley used to hoist the hay to the attic.
Villages emerged from their ramparts in the 17th century and in the 19th century extended outside the walls, creating these famous fountains and boulevards bordered by plane trees (as in Reillane).