In Gargas, in the heart of the Luberon Regional Natural Park, Les Mines de Bruoux invite you to experience a fascinating journey into the heart of ochre. Flamboyant cliffs, monumental underground galleries and spectacular landscapes make up here a setting that is as singular as it is striking.
Former ochre quarries operated in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Bruoux Mines are now a major tourist site for understanding the history, geology and industrial heritage linked to ochre in the Luberon.
Through this visit, you will discover how the work of men has shaped a vast underground labyrinth, while allowing a landscape of spectacular beauty to emerge, between working memory and colorful reliefs.
During a guided tour of about one hour, discover an impressive underground universe where the history of ochre trees comes back to life through the galleries.
Equipped with a construction helmet, you travel around 650 meters of galleries dug into the ochre sand. Some reach up to 15 meters in height, offering a spectacular feeling of space in an atmosphere that is both mysterious and mineral.
Throughout the course, passionate guides tell about the daily life of workers, extraction techniques and working conditions in mines. The story allows us to better understand the extent of the work done by force of arms to dig this veritable underground labyrinth.
As the temperature remains constant around 10°C, even in summer, it is advisable to bring warm clothing to fully enjoy the visit.
The ochre formations of the Mines de Bruoux result from the alteration of sands rich in kaolinite and iron, deposited in an ancient environment shaped by marine sediments and erosion. This slow geological process gave birth to the famous ochres of the Luberon.
From pale yellow to intense red, the shades of ochre offer a remarkable visual spectacle here. Around the mines, the steep cliffs contrast with the Mediterranean vegetation and compose emblematic panoramas of this part of Vaucluse.
The visit also allows you to understand how erosion and human exploitation have shaped this unique landscape, which has now become one of the great witnesses of the ochre heritage of the Luberon.
Between science, contemplation and the memory of places, the Mines de Bruoux offer a fascinating reading of the Provençal ochre landscape.
Transformed into a museum and a natural tourist site since 2009, the Mines de Bruoux bear witness to an industrial adventure that has deeply marked Gargas and more widely the entire Luberon region.
Out of nearly 40 kilometers of underground galleries, dug with a pickaxe by generations of miners, only a small part is now accessible to visitors. These monumental galleries recall the extent of work required to extract ochre sand, which is mostly composed of sand and a small portion of pure ochre.
At the end of the 19th century, the ochre industry boomed considerably. A large part of the production is then exported via the port of Marseille to the international market, in particular for paint, coatings, whitewash and the rubber industry.
With the arrival of synthetic paints and petrochemical products in the middle of the 20th century, this activity gradually declined. Today, the Mines de Bruoux remain an exceptional testimony of this era, between heritage transmission and the enhancement of a unique natural and cultural site.
Booking is mandatory and can only be made by phone at +33 (0) 4 90 06 22 59.
Guided tours last approximately 60 minutes, take place at fixed times and are limited to 30 people.
It is requested to come to the reception no later than 20 minutes before the start of the visit in order to guarantee your participation.
Also remember to bring warm clothing, the temperature in the galleries being around 10°C all year round.
After your visit to the Mines de Bruoux, other emblematic sites allow you to deepen the discovery of ochre in the Luberon.
The Colorado Provençal in Rustrel reveals a spectacular landscape, similar to a canyon, created by erosion and ancient ochre quarries.
The Ôkhra Ecomuseum in Roussillon finally makes it possible to better understand the transformation of ochre into pigments, the associated know-how and the uses of this material through visits, exhibitions and workshops.
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Practical information on Bruoux Mines in Gargas
Opening times and periods
From 07/03 to 31/10/2026 daily between 10 am and 6 pm.
Price(s)
Full price : from 10 €
Reduced price : from 8.50 € (Unemployed/students/person with reduced mobility)
Child : 7.50 €
Group adults : from 8.50 €
Group children : from 6.50 €.
Free entry for children under 5, accompanying guides, the drivers, teachers.
Child entry valid for 5 - 17 years.
Group rate available for 15 people or more.
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