Oppède Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Vaucluse (84580) Population: 1127 Altitude: 300 m Michelin map: #245 "France Provence-Cote d'Azur" Nearby:      [ Apt 25 km | Avignon 34 | Bonnieux 13 | Cavaillon 11 | Lacoste 10 | Lagnes 12 | Ménerbes 4 | Robion 5 ] Photos:             1  Oppéde-le-Vieux village, church and castle ruins (22 k)             2  The old village nestled on the mountain side (47 k)             3  The lovely church perched on a rocky ridge (48 k)             4  The walled village and arched passage (42 k)             5  A friendly terrace café (49 k)             6  A village street (48 k)             7  An Oppede wall with sundial (33 k)             8  Sundial close-up (37 k) Below: [ Tours | History | Dates | O.T. | Wine | Sports | Hiking | Lodging ] Oppède is a commune on the northern flank of the Luberon mountains, more commonly known as Oppède-le-Vieux. Oppede-le-Vieux is a small, pretty tourist site, with ancient ruins of chateau and village perched high on the rocks. Oppède-le-Vieux is a truly ancient village, sitting with the ruins of the old fortified castle perched on top and surrounded by the rocky cliffs of the Luberon. The small photo shows part of the village, topped by the Romanesque 16th-century Notre-Dame-d'Alydon church. A wild gorge is cut into the Luberon to the south, behind the village. From the upper part of the village there's a magnificent view of Mont Ventoux, the Cévennes and the lower Alpes. Parking, just below the old village, is 10F, which includes a very professional brochure (in French) with map. For handicapped parking, ignore the first parking-lot signs and continue on up; appropriate parking is available alongside the road at the entrance to the village. The walk from the parking lot to the village is across lovely terraces, and all uphill; a good stiff 5-minutes. The old village has a terrace café and a snack bar. It's a quiet, pretty place, with some old buildings and the ancient ruins high above. The hike from the village to the church, and on to the ruins, is about 10-15 minutes of steep uphill, with cobblestones through the trees, and past cave-rooms as you go through ruins of the ancient dwellings. You're rewarded with a fantastic view at the level of the church and the chateau ruins. There are some drop-offs at the top, so don't let children run ahead. The ancient church, Collegiale Notre-Dame d'Alydon, is really lovely [photo-03] on its rocky location high above the old village. The inside is full of colorful frescos, many old, faded or ruined. The church is being restored by the commune; voluntary donations are accepted by the caretaker at the entrance (and you do get postcards for your donations). Pottery The village pottery shop, which specializes in animal sculpture, is afilliated with the Terre de Provence pottery group. Sundial We found a nice sundial in Oppède-le-Vieux [photo-07]. Olive Oil Mill Just below the old village is an olive oil mill, with customer shop. Tours Visiting here in May 1999, we met Rick, owner of Experience Plus!, guiding a Provence cycle tour through the area. Rick is a personable guy, of course, and his catalog of international cycle and walking tours is impressive. Check him out on the Internet (www.xplus.com). History Name First record, First record, 1008: Oppeda. The name Oppeda comes from "oppidum" which is a Roman fortified hilltop village. Gallo-Roman: The name Oppède indicates that this was an important Roman fortified town. Artifacts found here include coins, tiles and an altar for worshiping Mercury (now in a museum at Cavaillon). The Roman road Chemin Romieu passed along the Calavon river, just to the north of Oppède-le-Vieux. Medieval: Raymond de Turenne sacked the village and put it to the torch at the end of the 14th century. In 1545, the Lord of Oppéde, Jean de Maynier, massacred the Vaudois who had taken refuge in the village. By the beginning of the 17th century, the old village was completely abandoned for the plain below. Dates Every Sat - Market day Every Aug - Fete patronale: 5-days, weekend of St-Laurent 3rd Weekend Oct - Fete des Vendanges (grape harvest) Office de Tourisme Office du Tourisme - Bonnieux Wine Oppède is in the region of the Rhône Valley Côtes de Luberon wines. Sports Cycling The Luberon en Vélo cycling path (between Cavaillon, Apt and Forcalquier) passes through Oppede-le-Vieux, after a steep climb up from the west. Camping Hiking Maps: Didier Richard (1/50,000) #14 "Luberon, Sainte-Victoire"; IGN (1/25,000) #3142 OT "Cavaillon, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse" The GR6-97 (Grande Randonnée) passes through Oppède-le-Vieux, with several excellent trails going into the Luberon. Lodging Listing available There's a Chambre d'Hote in the old village.