Le Barroux Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Vaucluse (84) Population: 500 Altitude: 350 m Nearby: [ Beaumes-de-Venise | Malaucène | Bédoin | Caromb | Gigondas | Carpentras 12 km | Dentelles Montmirail | Mont Ventoux ] Photos: Another view of the castle above the village (18k) Below: [ History | Hiking ] An imposing 12-century castle-looking castle dominates the pleasant little perched village. Le Barroux is well restored and well tended, and the amazing big castle (rebuilt in the 16th century and restored in 1960) gives the village an ever-present mood of medievality. Here it's easy to imagine knights and ladies and, why not, even dragons. Off-season at least the village seems a bit sleepy, as if it's more of a place to vacation than to live. It's lovely though, and not spoiled by tourist attractions. The narrow streets wind between lovely old buildings, with many little squares with their fountains hidden away for discovery. Among various places to stay in the region, there's a pleasant looking Gîte Rural right in the village. A stream runs down through a deep valley along the eastern edge of the village, far below the high castle, and the D938 Malaucène-Carpentras road runs along the river through a rocky gorge, cutting through the rock in a short tunnel. Name First record, 1113: Albaruffum History Roman: The St. Jean-Baptiste church in the village was built by the Romans, and later restored. Medieval: the commune was ruled in turn by the Baux family (see also Baux-de-Provence), the Peyre and the Rouvillac. The village changed hands several times during the Wars of Religion. Le Barroux was pillaged during the Revolution. Hiking Maps: IGN "bleue" (1:25,000) 3040 ET "Carpentras" Didier Richard (1:50,000) #27 "Ventoux" Le Barroux sits at the southern edge of the hills between the Dentelles Montmirail and the hills of Mont Ventoux, and all of those hills have good hiking trails. One hiking trail leaves the village to the west, crossing low hills and fields. The trail branches about 4 km out, with one branch continuing west to Beaumes-de-Venise and the other going north to the hamlets of La-Roque-Alric and Lafare. Either branch will take you up to the top of the Dentelles and eventually on to Gigondas. A trail goes north from Le Barroux, about 4 km through fields and woods and past a monastery, to join with the east-west GR4 (Grande Randonnée). To the east, the GR4 goes past Malaucène and into the mountains of Ventoux.