Rocher de Roquebrune-sur-Argens

Now a protected site, the astonishing "Rocher de Roquebrune" rock spans the towns of Roquebrune-sur-Argens and Le Muy. This mass of reddish sandstone is dressed with a thin layer of vegetation, clutching to its fractures. Erosion has carved out its caves, widened its faults and modelled its various mushroom-shaped columns, such as the famous Deux Frères (Two Brothers). Visitors can climb the rock via a small footpath. The summit, at an altitude of 372 metres, harbours three crosses created in 1991 by sculptor Bernar Venet as a tribute to the artists Giotto, Grünewald and Le Greco, and offers stunning views over the river Argens, Fréjus, Estérel hills and distant Alps. This wild setting also harbours the remains of megaliths and oppida dating back to the Iron Age, and ancient settlements protected by dry stone walls. Little chapels, an old tile oven and ancient oil mills still stand witness to formerly-flourishing human activity on the rock. Chapels Notre Dame de la Roquette lies hidden away among ancient woodland, at the foot of the rock, among giant blocks of stone that have been defying the laws of balance for centuries. The chapel was built in 1532 on the remains of an older construction. A little further on, at the bottom of a dark crevice, you can glimpse the remains of another chapel known as Chapelle St Jean. Visitors equipped with a torch can cross the Saint Trou: a superb grotto with narrow passageways which, according to legend, would open up to allow young girls to escape from the hands of the seigneurs... Excursion tips Most of the Rocher de Roquebrune site is privately owned. Please take the GR 51 footpath (red and white markings) and do not stray off the signposted public areas!

Recommandations pour vos excursions
Sachez que l’essentiel du site appartient à des propriétaires privés dont vous devez respecter les droits. Empruntez le GR 51 (balisé rouge et blanc) et restez sur les chemins balisés des propriétés publiques !