Lavender fields in Provence, France when they bloom. Where to see lavender fields? How to get to Provence

Provence is a picturesque region in south coast France. It can be compared to an expensive brand. It has a symbol - lavender, its own color - amethyst, its own aroma - Provencal herbs and a unique style. People from all over the world come here to plunge into the atmosphere of the endless lavender sea.

At first glance, it may seem that lilac plantations are part of the beautiful natural landscapes of this region. But this beauty was created by human hands. Farmers everywhere are engaged in growing, collecting and further processing of the fragrant flower. Locals call lavender "Blue Gold". It is here that 80% of the world's harvest of this plant is harvested.

Varieties

Lavender grows in mountainous areas, at an altitude of more than 700 meters above sea level. Thanks to medicinal properties and wonderful aroma, is a key component in the creation of exquisite perfumes and cosmetics.

Lavandin is an artificially bred variety with a high content of essential oil, but its aroma is significantly inferior to the original. It grows on plateaus below 600 meters above sea level. The plant is used in the production of cheaper types of cosmetic products - soap, cream, massage oils.

Where and when to look for blooming “Lavender fields”

In the summer, Provence resembles one big festival with themed fairs, exhibitions and scurrying lines of tourists in search of “Blue Gold”.

You can enjoy beautiful blooms from mid-June to mid-August. Peak flowering depends on weather conditions of the current year and may vary depending on precipitation, air temperature and plant variety. Therefore, in different areas, lavender blooms at its own time.

Expert opinion

Knyazeva Victoria

Guide to Paris and France

Ask a question to an expert

You can purchase an up-to-date map of lavender fields and also learn in detail about local themed holidays.

The best option would be to plan your trip for the end of June - beginning of July. And from the end of July to September, the harvest is already harvested for further processing.

Chenonceau Castle

Basically, the flower is cultivated in the northern part of Provence. It is here that fragrant plantations are located, with tints of shades from soft lilac to blue-violet.
The Alps of Haute-Provence (Valensole plateau) lead in the number of plantations, merging into one flower carpet. On the third Sunday of July local residents celebrate a holiday - lavender day. Most often at this time it already smells everywhere here.

The landscapes of Drome Provençal are distinguished by a riot of contrasts - golden ears of wheat, yellow sunflowers, grapevines framed by purple flower paths. Lavender is known to bloom earlier - at the end of June.

Mount Ventoux is known for its later flowering - from the end of July to the second half of August. And on July 15 they celebrate the lavender holiday.

The Luberon is a wonderful place for lovers of pristine nature with old fairy-tale houses and fragrant lilac fields that bloom in July.

Excursions

You can find and see the fields on your own or with a group of tourists. Local travel agencies offer day trips for every taste.

For independent travel It’s worth renting a car, as you’ll have to travel huge distances and even climb mountain serpentine roads. You can also get there by public transport, but this is not the most convenient option and is limited to certain routes. For daredevils, flights are offered on hot-air balloon– admire the local beauty from a bird’s eye view and examine all the amethyst plantations at once.

Chantilly Castle

The tourist capital of lavender is the city of Sole (Haute-Vaucluse department). The city lies against the backdrop of mountains, on a lilac fluffy carpet, with patterns of walking routes. Colored signs divide sections by difficulty. Flowering occurs in mid-summer, and on August 15, Sol celebrates a holiday - the end of the harvest season.
You can arrange a tour to any of the farms. The most popular farm is Chateau du Bois, located in Lagarde-d-Apt (Alpes of Haute-Provence). Since 1890, it has been producing cosmetics based on lavender extract. Nearby there is a store with its own products and a museum that welcomes tourists all year round, except January.

Blooming lavender fields is as impressive and world-famous a brand for the south of France as the Eiffel Tower is for Paris or the fortified island of Mont Saint-Michel is for Normandy.

Pastoral pictures of Provence with its bright, neat houses standing in the middle of a lilac field have long attracted painters and photographers, each of whom, to the best of his ability, tried to capture the beauty of these places on canvas or film.

If your travel route passes through the south of France, or you are deliberately planning to travel around Provence in the summer, do not forget to include lavender fields in your route. This is an extraordinary sight, especially at sunrise or sunset. To do this, you will need to know when and where exactly to go, so as not to wander aimlessly in search of the most beautiful fields.

Lavender flowering time in Provence – from mid-June to late August, it reaches its greatest lushness and beauty at the end of July, although this depends on the variety of lavender, climate, weather and latitude in which it grows. Available in Provence and Lavender Festival, which usually falls on August 15 and takes place in the small village of Sault in the Vaucluse department. Seau is located 50 kilometers from Avignon, at an altitude of more than 700 meters above sea level, and is inhabited by only 1,200 inhabitants. The inhabitants of So live by agriculture, primarily by growing lavender and preparing various products from it, so it is given special importance in the village. During the lovely village Lavender Festival, colorful events, competitions, a fair selling lavender products, etc. are held. The upcoming program (in French).

A little general information about these plants:

In Provence, in natural conditions you can see two varieties of plants: lavender And lavandin. Lavender itself grows at an altitude of more than 700-800 meters, that is, on hills, mountain plateaus, etc. Lavender is the main component in the creation of perfumes and cosmetics; essential oils are mainly made with the addition of lavender. Lavandin is another species that grows in fields located below 600 meters above sea level. Lavandin is also used for the needs of the perfume and cosmetics industry, but mainly for cheaper types of products - creams, soaps and others.

Lavender has been used by humans since ancient times; in particular, clear references to this plant have been found since the times of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, often in the Middle Ages. But the use of lavender reached its greatest flourishing in the 20th century with the development of perfume production near Provence, on the Cote d'Azur in Grasse. “Blue gold,” as lavender is called here, is today cultivated by farmers, many of whom live exclusively from its cultivation, caring for the improvement of the species and its quality.

I will list some “lavender places” in Provence:

In the vicinity of Gordes, four kilometers northwest of it, there is the medieval Abbey of Notre-Dame de Senanque from the 12th century. Around the abbey there are picturesque lavender fields where the monks work. Here you can also purchase products and souvenirs made from lavender or with lavender symbols. The Abbey is depicted on many postcards.

The Valensole plateau is located in Haute Provence. On this huge plateau, covered with lavender to the very horizon, you can get lost for a long time, inhaling the unique smells. To get there, for example, from Aix-en-Provence, you need to go in the direction of Manosque, and then turn to the village of Valensole, which is surrounded by the fields of the plateau of the same name.

In the Alpes Haute Provence department, this main lavender region, you can also go to some lavender farm, where you can arrange a tour or at least a short story from the farmers about this plant. It has a reputation as an excellent farm open to tourists. Chateau du Bois in Lagarde-d-Apt, which is 20 kilometers from Apt. Chateau du Bois is the oldest (since 1890) production of cosmetic products with lavender. Its owners, Jacques and Sophie Lansolet, also organized a small Lavender Museum, which one . The museum is open almost all year round, with the exception of January. You can take an audio guide there, including in Russian. Is it worth mentioning that here you can buy a variety of products made from real Provençal lavender. Check out the lavender honey!

There are quite a few “lavender routes” in Provence, and they have long been classified for tourists on the website http://www.moveyouralps.com/fr

Website at French, but when you open the “Lavender Routes” section on the main page, you can switch to the English version. When planning your trip, language is not that important: everything is detailed and intuitive, there are maps. When you click on each of the six main routes, its first and last points, the length and travel time by different transport (car, motorcycle, bicycle) are shown; the most interesting sights are marked with special signs with stars. Each of the long routes is divided into segments, and you can choose any one that is closest to your planned route through Provence to stop by to admire the lavender for a couple of hours. .

Due to climate change towards warming, lavender begins to bloom earlier in France from year to year, and many farmers by the beginning of July mow and collect plants that have begun to dry out under the scorching sun. This does not mean that, for example, by August you will not find flowering fields anywhere, but it is worth keeping in mind that due to the weather, lush lavender may not be in bloom everywhere.

Those who vacation on the Cote d'Azur are usually interested in those closest to the coast and major cities(Nice, Gangnam, etc.) lavender fields. For this you should go to the mountains on the route Castellane - Grasse, between which there are approximately 70 kilometers of road and many lavender fields (although they are more modest than directly in Provence). The above-mentioned French site suggests starting the journey in the village of Castellane and descending from it along a mountain serpentine towards Grasse, although this is not logical - usually from the coast everyone goes in the direction from Grasse to the mountains. , pay attention to the , through which this "lavender route" passes.

Rent a car for your trip to Provence and Cote d'Azur you can here:

(the largest search engine-aggregator of leading car rental companies provides comprehensive information about the price, car equipment, insurance and other points. All you have to do is choose the best offer for you in terms of price/quality and pick up the car at the point you need)

(unique bays-Mediterranean fjords)

Lavender fields, Provence, France photo

The Abbey of Notre-Dame de Senanque, founded in 1148, would be worth visiting even if there were no lavender fields around it.

The concentration of the picturesque views themselves, including tourist routes laid out among fields, farms and picturesque villages, is located mainly in the northern part of the province. Since ancient times, lilac fields strewn with small neat houses and trees have attracted photographers and artists from all over the world to these places, each of whom strives to capture the beauty of Provençal landscapes in their creations.

Lavender belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes mint, rosemary, basil, sage, marjoram, lemon balm and other plants. There is an assumption that it arose on Canary Islands or on the territory of Persia (modern Iran). Regardless of where the fragrant lilac flower got its start, during its existence it managed to accumulate enough rich history. In the Middle Ages ancient greek civilization classified lavender as a “noble plant,” and the Romans used it for washing and called it “lavandula.” The name comes from the Latin word "lava", which translates as "to wash". Later in Rome they found a way to extract lavender oil and began to use it in perfumery and pharmacology.

Today, lavender is grown in the largest volumes in Provence. Until a few decades ago, harvesting and selling crops was an exclusively female activity, and men, as a rule, were engaged in other agricultural work. To create large flower plantations, it was often necessary to resort to hiring workers. In 1952, with the advent of harvesting machines, the process of processing lavender fields was significantly easier, and until that moment the entire harvest was harvested by hand using a sickle. Today, “blue gold” is cultivated by many farmers, most of whom live exclusively from its cultivation, improving the quality and appearance of the plant.

In Provence, lavender symbolizes local history and beauty. Despite the fairly high annual harvest, in its native lands it is always used in various fields. The plant is regularly used to create cosmetics, perfumes, soaps, and some restaurants even use it in the preparation of original dishes to add local cuisine special charm. In such establishments you can taste the lavender by ordering lavender sorbet, cookies or honey.

In natural conditions in the famous historical region France, Provence, grows two types of lilac plants - lavandin and lavender. Lavandin grows in fields below 600 meters above sea level. It is generally intended for functional perfumery - making soaps, creams and cleaning products. Lavender grows at an altitude of more than 700-800 meters. It is mainly grown to create essential oils. The rich aroma and beneficial properties of lavender are highly valued by cosmetic manufacturers and perfumers.

The flowering time for lavender fields in Provence is mid-June to late August. It is best to visit the places where Provençal lavender grows in July, when flowering reaches the peak of its splendor and beauty. At the end of the second summer month, the harvest begins.

In different regions, the lilac plant blooms at different times. For example, in the vicinity natural park In the Luberon and Rhone Valley it blooms from mid-June to early August. In the communes of Drôme-Provençal and Valensole, lavender blooms in early July. The fields of the Vaucluse department begin to smell fragrant in mid-July.

The most picturesque lavender places in Provence include the tourist region of Drôme-Provence, the Alpes-Haute-Provence and Vaucluse department, the cities and small villageswhich will delight tourists with their colorfulness not only during the lavender flowering season, but all year round. Often, golden fields of wheat or sunflowers flaunt next to the lilac fields, giving the overall appearance even more picturesque.

Four kilometers from Gordes (Vaucluse department) is the ancient 12th-century abbey of Notre-Dame de Senanc, surrounded by bright lavender fields. The monks here grow lavender; in addition, they maintain an apiary and produce honey. The Abbey Store offers lavender honey, dried lavender, soaps and lavender perfumes for the home. The picturesque plateau of Valensole, in Haute-Provence, is famous for its endless flowering fields stretching to the horizon. In the Alpes of Haute-Provence, the main lavender region in the southwest of the province, it is possible to go to any of the lavender farms and arrange a tour or mini-lecture about the plant from the farmers. One of these farms, which has a good reputation and is open to tourists, is called Chateau du Bois and is located in Lagarde-d-Apt, which is 20 kilometers from Apt. This farm has been producing cosmetic products using lavender extract since 1890. The owners of Chateau du Bois, Sophie and Jacques Lansolet, organized a Lavender Museum on the territory of their farm, which is open almost all year round, with the exception of January. Naturally, they offer various products containing real Provençal lavender.

In addition to the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the lavender fields, guests of Provence have the chance to attend one of the many festivals that take place in the region every summer. The largest of them takes place in the village of Seau, in the Vaucluse department, from August 15. The population of the village is only 1200 inhabitants. In So, growing lavender and producing all kinds of products from it is the main activity, so it is especially revered here. During the holiday, events are organized on the territory of the settlement bright events, fair, competitions. At the festival you can buy essential oils, lavender soap, bouquets, honey, bags of dried flowers and other products containing lavender.

You can enjoy the local sights and aromas of the flowering fields of Provence by bicycle, on foot or by car. It is most convenient to view the surrounding landscapes by car, since this method of transportation allows you to see the most secluded corners of the province. Designed for tourists a large number of routes that can be found on the Internet. When choosing to travel by bicycle, you should be prepared for steep ascents and descents. For true adventure lovers, take a hot air balloon ride over the colorful lavender fields. Such excursions are gladly organized for everyone in Forcalquier, Alpes-Haute-Provence department. There are many tour operators in Avignon and Aix-en-Provence that organize day trips to the lavender fields and surrounding attractions. You can also see the purple landscapes from buses that run on the routes Carpentras - So and Apt - So. For those interested in staying in the heart of lavender country, they can stay in hotels and resorts in Provence, which abound in endless fields of the plant that is the symbol of France - lavender.

Blooming from June to August, lavender adds amazing colors to the natural landscapes of Provence - from smoky lilac to blue-violet, depending on weather conditions and the time of flowering. Tourist routes- lavender roads - laid among fields, flower farms and picturesque villages, mainly in the north of the province.

During the lavender blooming period in Provence, many themed festivals are held where you can buy lavender soap, essential oils, honey, bouquets and bags of dried flowers.

The flowering period for lavender in Provence is from June to August. But to be guaranteed to see the picturesque purple fields, plan your trip from mid-June to mid-July. At the end of July, lavender begins to be mowed. Be careful: there are a huge number of wasps in the fields.

The most convenient way to explore the lavender fields is by car. This method of transportation will allow you to see the secluded corners of Provence, as well as choose the most interesting shooting point: the flower fields occupy quite a large area. You can go on a trip by bike, but you need to be prepared for steep inclines and inclines.

In the Alps of Haute-Provence, in the city of Coustellet, located in the southwest of the province, a lavender museum has been opened.

How to get there

Lavender fields are found in the north of Provence - in tourist region Drôme Provencale and Vaucluse department; the largest and most picturesque are in the Alps of Haute Provence. You can get to Vaucluse via highways A7 and A9; Alpes-Haute-Provence - via the A51 motorway; Drôme region - along the A7 and A49 highways.

Location

Lavender fields occupy northern part the Provence region, as well as the Drôme department in the Rhône-Alpes region.

Everyone knows that lavender fields are located in Provence. But where exactly? Which airport should you fly to? To Marseille, Nice? How can you get to the lavender fields without a car? When does lavender bloom? Find answers to all these questions in today's article. about the blue gold of France.

In fact, there are many lavender fields in France. There are even special routes called “Lavender Roads” (Les Routes de la Lavande). Here they are marked on the map.

I'll tell you about a trip to the lavender fields that are located in Valensole- a small Provençal town located between the city of Manosque and the Verdon nature reserve.

When to go?

Lavender blooms in Valensole from the end of June to the 15th of July. Do not believe numerous websites that flowering can be seen until the end of August. Perhaps in other places, but not in Valensole. By August, the lavender is harvested and only empty fields await you.

How to get there?

Valensole is located in the department Alpes Haute Provence. The closest airports are Marseille and Aix-en-Provence, but flying to them from Russia is long and expensive.

The best option is buy a ticket to Paris and directly from Paris Aéroport Roissy to Aix-en-Provence high speed train (TGV). The train takes 3h20 minutes. See tickets on the Ouigo website. They have cheap tickets compared to trains departing from central Paris. The only negative is that Ouigo trains do not arrive in the center of Aix-en-Provence, but from the station to the center you can easily take a bus for a few euros.

Okay, we got to Aix-en-Provence, but how to get further to the fields if you don’t have a car?

From the bus station in Aix-en-Provence (Aix-en-Province Gare routière) we take the on the bus to the town of Manosque. Here is a link to the Bus Schedule in 2019. We get off at the bus stop Manosque Garerouter. The fare in 2019 is 9 euros. It is more profitable to take a round-trip ticket.

From Manosque to Valensole is about 15 km. However, only 4 buses go there per day and only on weekdays. The last bus back from Valensole leaves at 13.10. Very inconvenient, the option of buses was no longer available.

We decided to rent electric bikes. On them you can accelerate up to 50 km/h downhill. Fast and useful!

At the Manosque bus station there is a very cute little shop called La Station de Lavande.

The owner called representatives of the local tourism office and we rented wonderful electric bikes from them. Purple, lavender color. The rental cost was about 20 euros for half a day and 40 euros for the whole day.

It is easy to find your way to Valensole by following the signs.

I will long remember the moment when I was riding a bicycle to the lavender fields. A feeling of boundless happiness, the wind blowing your hair, alluring aromas around. I clearly imagined myself as the heroine of a French film from the 60s.

And here are the lavender fields themselves! A light blue and almost cloudless sky overhead, the enchanting aroma of lavender, the hum of bees. Just a fairy tale!

On a huge plateau covered with lavender to the very horizon, you can get lost for a long time, inhaling the unique smells.

In addition to lavender fields, Valensole is also famous for its olive groves and sunflower fields. The L’Occitane cosmetics factory is also located nearby. Amazing place.

Where to live?

The trip to the lavender fields occurred during my Parisian student years, so we saved as much as we could. We lived for free in Aix-en-Provence using couchsurfing with a hospitable Frenchman. For those unfamiliar with the system, check out the website https://www.couchsurfing.com/.

There are also many offers for housing in Aix-en-Provence, Manosque, and even in Valensole itself on the airbnb website. By the way, I have prepared for you a discount of more than 2,000 rubles on your first trip, get it via the link www.airbnb.ru

As you can see, the trip to the fields turned out to be quite inexpensive. We did not find a similar route map on the Internet when we were preparing for the trip. The scheme was built by trial and error, but it works well. Many of my friends have already used my tips to see the miracle of lavender fields without a car.

Come to Valensole! I am sure that the lavender fields will not leave anyone indifferent.

Helpful information! Updated in 2019

Map of French regions with approximate lavender flowering dates for 2019.