Luberon Regional Nature Park

The Colorado of Provence The former ochre quarries are ideal for hiking at the heart of stunning scenery and are often used as a backdrop in films. © Isabelle Rozenbaum - age fotostock

See more pictures: Luberon Regional Nature Park

The specialities of the Luberon are presented in the house of the Luberon park, a private home dating back to the 18th Century, at the centre of the old town of Apt. A visit to this place is a journey to the heart of the Luberon countryside, illustrated by its geological heritage, its natural environments, its occupation by man and habitats (presentation of paleontological discoveries), which allow you to better understand and explore the site. Indeed, the house in the park is a mine of information. This information is added to by the interactive terminal, videos and temporary exhibitions which enable you to stroll around the property and make the most of all its little gems.
There is also a shop attached to the park's house, selling maps, topography guides, books and posters. Open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 12:00pm and from 1:30pm to 6:00pm (entry price: ?1.50 per person).

Luberon Park covers an area of 407,700 acres from Cavaillon to Villeneuve (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), straddling the Luberon mountain. 155,000 people live in area's 71 towns.
This vast stretch of land is home to five different ecosystems: 'garrigue' scrubland, mountainous grassland, oak groves, cliffs and the lower lying 'Petit Luberon'.
The scrubland is on the south side of the Luberon and the rocky, limestone ground favours the formation of bushy shrubs and herbaceous vegetation, typical of the 'garrigue' landscape. However, it is the nature of the soil that determines the type of scrubland that grows. The loose soils allow the scrubland, which is dominated by kermes oak, to develop, whereas more compact soils welcome vegetation which is more dominated by rosemary.
This type of flora provides a home for two interesting species: the first is the ocellus lizard, which is the biggest lizard in Europe (60 cm). During the reproductive period, the male changes colour on his flanks, which are covered in blue ocellus scales. The second is the Etruscan shrew, the smallest mammal in the world (0.05 to 0.07 oz for 2 and a half inches long). It mainly lives in the scrubland, but can also be seen in houses and on waste land. Shaped by the harsh climate (wind, dry summers, cold winters) and by grazing cattle, the landscape of the mountainous grassland is covered with low and creeping vegetation. This vegetation, which is rather austere at first sight, gives way in spring to a carpet of tufty grass (sheep's fescue, bromus erectus, etc.) dotted with explosions of colour from various types of orchids (including the Eurasian orchid or Bertoloni's Bee Orchid, which is a protected species), Genista pulchella broom and and Inula Montana. In the middle of this profusion of flowers, many moths (from the butterfly family) breed, including a protected species: the Apollo, which has pale yellow wings and black and red spots. With a bit of luck, you might even see a cirl bunting (a bird certainly easier to hear than see).
With deep soil and a cool atmosphere, the northern mountainsides are dominated by white or pubescent oak trees. As well as providing the landscape with beautiful colours, particularly in the autumn when the leaves turn yellow and brown, these deciduous trees let the light filter through enough for various plants to take root below. In particular, look out for 'frascinelle' (a protected species), a flower whose leaves resemble those of the ash tree and give off a lemon scent; or the clouded agaric, a mushroom of debatable palatability which grows in cool forests. The wood sandpiper and Eurasian nuthatch, keep the woods alive with their singing.
However, man's exploitation of the oak groves (charcoal, heating and construction) has damaged the soil quality, caused erosion and made the land more suitable for holm oaks, which grow mainly on poor, dry soils on the south side of the mountain. Unlike the white oak, the holm oak is evergreen, which is typical in the Mediterranean regions. It forms a shady, dense and dark canopy beneath which only a few shrubs, which can also cope with the dry conditions, can flourish. In this environment, it is not unusual to see Eurasian jays, which is very fond of eating and scattering around acorns; the blackcap, whose song can be mistaken for that of the nightingale or blackbird; and the long-eared owl, although it is more often found in coniferous forests. In this almost impenetrable undergrowth, the people of Provence search for 'fragon' or 'knee holly', which is used for Christmas decorations. Creepers like wild madder also grow here.
The middle of this area, which is full of steep cliffs, canyons, caves and talus piles, is a paradise for bird watchers, and the chaotic landscape is especially popular with birds of prey. The most noteworthy of these are Bonelli's eagles, which are fond of the cliffs, but of which only a couple remain in the Luberon, and the Egyptian vulture, a small vulture and the last remaining member of the vulture family in Provence.
In this rocky place, plants have a very hard time of it, and any vegetation relies on its roots for stability (for example laserpitium gallicum, Epilobium rosmarinifolium Haenke and wallpepper). Just like the park, Petit Luberon has very varied landscape features and vegetation. It is full of cliffs and valleys, which are ideal for birds of prey and reptiles. Plants flourish here too, and a botanical tour, marked out with arrows, starts at the majestic oak forest.