Le Mourre Nègre, northern side

12 points of interest

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  Fauna

  The Eurasian eagle owl

  The Eurasian eagle owl is one of the largest species of owl (with a wingspan of 1,80m). As great as an eagle, it is still well represented in the territory of the Luberon Park (about sixty couples). It builds its nest in steep cliffs, similar to those that overhang the footpath, where it breeds and rears its young from January to June To cope with the disappearance of the rabbit, it has adjusted its eating behavior to feast on rodents, birds, hedgehogs, reptiles, fishes ...

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  Panorama

  Auribeau, a nestled village

  Auribeau is a small authentic rural village whose inhabitants are mostly farmers. Nestled in the countryside on the foothills of the Grand Luberon, Auribeau is located at the east end of Claparèdes plateau. The Aiguebrun, a right bank tributary of the Durance, starts in the town. This site was always occupied since there are lots of remains of ancient Bories, and paths dug on the sides of rocks leading to shelter villages during the great invasions.

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  Panorama

  Castellet, a hilltop village

  Perched on a hill and overlooked by the ruins of the old Castel (castle in Provence), Castellet is bordered by the Calavon on one side and the Grand Luberon on the other. There are cereals and fruit trees (table cherries), production of table grapes and AOC Luberon wines. The production of aromatic plants (lavendin and sage) makes also the traditional distillery of Castellet work!

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  Savoir-faire

  Charcoal kilns

  Historically, charcoal burners transformed wood into charcoal directly on the ground of the forest. During the 19th century, metal enclosures of various shapes appeared and replaced the traditional charcoal kilns that required special expertise. In addition to being removable, the kilns allowed faster burning, thus increasing productivity. In Luberon, a few circles of blackened earth remain, and so do rusty metal sheets bearing witness to this activity.

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  Elevage et pastoralisme

  Sheeps and shepherds, keepers of the peaks!

  In May and June, you will encounter sheep grazing. Thanks to them, the exceptional biodiversity of the peaks is maintained. Without grazing, you wouldn't be able to see as many insects, birds and spring flowers. Sheeps prefer, because they choose them, rare plants and limit the closing of the lawns by the forest. Farmers are supported in their work by the Park, the ONF (National Forest Offices) and pastoralists.

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  Panorama

  Valleys and open spaces

  The Luberon is visible from everywhere and very present in the landscape. From the peaks, wide panoramas are also available to us: Our eyes travel across the southern massifs (Alpilles, Sainte-Baume...) and northern massif (Mont Ventoux). But this landscape is also characterized by the very intimate micro atmospheres like the wooded valleys below and the surrounding rocky valleys. At our feet, the mark of man is discreet and increasingly present beyond the Durance.

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  Geology

  I am several million years old!

  The Luberon was not built in a day, far from it! Its birth is connected to the birth of the Pyrénées, about 40 million years ago. This is also the case of Provencal Alpilles, Ste-Victoire, Ste-Baume massifs, etc. all oriented east-west. With the formation of the Alps, it has lived for 20 million years, several episodes of deformation leading to its current structure: a wide asymmetrical arch-shaped bend (anticlinal) overlapping the south.

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  Fauna

  Power lines, air threats

  High and medium voltage lines create a real danger for birds’ due to collisions and electrocutions. For large soaring birds (eagles, vultures, storks), these infrastructures represent one of the main causes of human-induced mortality. Solutions exist: The burying of power lines, the installation of beacons improving the visibility of the cables, the renewal of the most dangerous pylons, the creation of perches on them or their better isolation.

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  Fauna

  Beware of caterpillar scabs!

  The pine processionary caterpillar is the larva of a moth ( Thaumetopoea the pityocampa) only living during the period of reproduction! It is not only dangerous for humans and animals, but also for nature since it can cause serious damage to forests. With their hair and “spiky” look, these caterpillars are easily recognizable because they are always moving one after another.

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  Elevage et pastoralisme

  Jas, a shelter for the shepherds and flocks

  In the Provençal “jas” designates large dry stone (or not) sheepfolds which provide shelter to both animals and people. The word comes from the Latin "jacium": the house, the place where people sleep. In ancient Occitan, it rapidly designated the "park where herds of goats and sheep were sleeping in mountain pastures". Today, the shed houses shepherds during their summer presence in the Luberon ridges for “alpine pasture” in June and July.

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  Savoir-faire

  A trail is made to be worn out!

  This saying should be highlighted: the function of a trail is to connect one place to another. However, they are also part of our heritage... and living heritage! The section of the trail that you follow testifies to the torrential rains that increase the erosion of the foundation of the route. Over time, the prohibited traffic of a few motorcycles and the lack of regular maintenance favored the creation of ruts, and a parallel track was created by the simple use of walkers.

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  Savoir-faire

  Provencal calades

  Calades are cobbledstone paths or sloping paved streets that are found in Provence. The root "cal" refers to the stone and "cala" means "down" in Provencal. By extension, “calader” means pave. The surface consists of stones laid on the edge (on the narrowest part), mainly pebbles from the Rhone or Durance. Some roads and streets were paved to help people and animals walk more comfortable, and also to limit erosion.