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Gargas sits on the plains 4 km from the southern edge of the forested slopes of the Plateau de Vaucluse, on 5 km northwest of Apt. A set of low hills surround the "village", with La Gardette (318 m) to the west, Perréal (470 m) to the north, and "Le Fort" (352 m) to the southeast. Gargas is actually a collection of houses spread out in several hamlets, including Beyssan, les Billards, la Grande-Fontaine and le Marnier. Even smaller hamlets in the collection are les Chaffrets, la Chauque, la Coquillade, le Chêne, les Lombards, Perrotet and Tamisiers.
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on the big map, NW
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Vaucluse (84400)
Population: 2,875; Altitude: 420 m
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Nearby: |
Aix-en-Provence 55 km |
Apt 5 km |
Avignon 50 km |
Forcalquier 47 km |
Manosque 45 km |
Murs 14 km |
Roussillon 6 km |
Saint Saturnin-les-Apt 6 km |
Sault 34 km |
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Below: |
Ocre |
History |
O.T. |
Dates |
Sports |
Hiking |
Lodging Hotels |
This collection of hamlets remains from the middle ages when the upper village was destroyed (see below). Today, the remains of a castle tower and a 13th-century chapel are part of the municipal buildings.
Ocre
Gargas had a thriving ocre industry in the 19th century, with some of the ancient ocre mines in the hills to the west and north still being exploited. The nearby sedentary rock, called "marne" is heavy in calcium and colored in different shades of ocre.
History
Name
First record, 10th century Gargatium
Prehistoric:
There are traces of paleolithic and neolithic habitation in the region, at Trecassats and at La Bladayre (2 km west).
Medieval:
Gargas was a fief of the Agoult and then the Simiane famlies. During the Revolution is was ruled by the Prince of Condé.
Because of Gargas' fortified hilltop position, it was attacked several times during the Wars of Religion.
The village and the castle were destroyed in 1597, and the people gathered together later in several hamlets on the plains beneath the hills.
Office de Tourisme
Tel: 04 90 74 12 70; Fax: 04 90 04 61 66
Dates
Fête: 1st weekend Sept.
Sports
Cycling
A cycling trail passes just a km south of Gargas. Running mainly to the southwest, it crosses the Calavon river over the Roman bridge "Pont Julien", and continues on, past Robion and eventually to Cavaillon.
Riding
A bridal trail passes just south of Gargas, following the GR6 hiking trail east and west (see below), and another trail branching off south from near Roussillon to Bonnieux.
There's a riding stable on the branch trail, south of Roussillon, and another just southwest of Roussillon.
Hiking
- Maps:
- IGN (1/25,000) #3142 E "Apt (ouest), Bonnieux"
- Didier Richard (1/50,000) #27 "Ventoux"
The GR6 (Grande Randonnée) passes through the center of Gargas, crossing the ocre hills of La Gardette and Perréal.
To the west, the GR6 goes to Roussillon and Gordes.
In the opposite direction, the GR6 heads northeast to St.Saturnin-lès-Apt. There the GR6 goes east along the base of hills to Rustrel, with many other trails branching off to climb up the Plateau de Vaucluse.
From St. Saturnin, the GR9 trail crosses, going north through the hills or south over the Montagne de la Clavelière to St.Auban-sur-l'Ouvèze on into the Luberon mountains.
Lodging - Hotels
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