Lavender festival in France. Lavender fields, France. #3. La Maison des Ocres, Roussillon
What associations does France evoke? Well, of course, with the famous Notre Dame Cathedral and endless lavender fields. It is through the expanses covered with the luxury of blooming lavender that we propose to go on a journey.
When does lavender bloom in Provence?
Lavender blooms in Provence from mid-June to early August. Blooming lavender colors the natural landscapes of Provence with amazing colors. During this period, it is here in France, in the lavender fields of Provence, that you can see all the variety of shades of purple: from light purple to blue-black.
How to get to Lavender Fields in Provence, France?
Lavender fields located in the northern part of Provence: in the tourist area of Drôme-Provence and the Vaucluse department, as well as in the Alps of Haute-Provence. The best way to get to these places is by car: along the A7 and A9 highways to Vaucluse, along the A7 and A49 highways to the Drôme region, and along the A51 highway to the Alps of Haute-Provence.
Lavender fields in Provence, France - what to see?
It will take more than one week to visit all the lavender fields in Provence. The most extensive plantings are concentrated in the area of the village of Banon. The nearest villages should not be neglected: Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Apt. It is also worth visiting the town of Valensole. This place is called the romantic of Provence, where lovers of fragrant lavender will feel simply wonderful. On the way from Valensole to the city of Gordes is the famous Abbey de Senanque. You can get into this abbey only three times a day at a clearly defined time. A tour of the abbey grounds takes over an hour and costs 
7 euros. According to reviews from tourists who visited this excursion, only a true connoisseur of architecture can endure it. In addition, in Provence, during the flowering period of the lavender fields, farms engaged in the cultivation of various medicinal and aromatic plants, factories and plants specializing in the processing of lavender open their doors to tourists. By visiting the factory tour, you can see the entire process of producing essential oils and perfumes. Along the entire route, shops and stalls hospitably open their doors to tourists, offering to buy a huge number of goods of their production: pillows stuffed with dried lavender, lavender honey and soap.
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 inexpensive tickets compared to trains leaving from central Paris. For example, a TGV ticket departing from Paris Aéroport Roissy-CD2 at 7 am on July 4, 2017 costs only 25 euros. 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 bus number 24 to the town of Manosque. Here is a link to the Bus Schedule. We get off at the final stop Manosque Garerouter. The fare is 8.40 euros. It is more profitable to take a round-trip ticket for 13.20 euros.
From Manosque to Valensole is about 15 km. However, only 4 buses go there per day and only on weekdays. Last bus departs back from Valensole 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. Rental cost is 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 a discount of 2,000 rubles for 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. Already 2 groups of friends have 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!
Map of French regions with approximate lavender flowering dates for 2018.
Driving through Provence in the summer, you constantly meet lonely cars on the side of the road, whose owners with cameras conquer every plot of the nearest lavender field, trying to capture for a long memory every blade of grass and bush of this fragrant and beautiful flower. The fragrance of lavender spreads for hundreds of meters and catches up with you in nearby towns and villages, especially during the harvest season. Your mood improves, everything around you becomes beautiful. This is purple magic. Let's figure out what, where and when to look, and, in fact, why and why.
Lavender fields of Provençal Dromme
Not everything that blooms purple is lavender.
Of course, for us, simple lovers of beauty, any such flower is lavender. In fact, lavender has a huge number of different varieties, and there is also a brother, almost a twin, called lavandin. This is where confusion arises, which does not interfere with enjoying the beautiful.
Lavender- low, small bushes with small flowers. it grows, as in one famous song, high in the mountains.
small lavender bushes Lavandin- a hybrid specially bred for low-elevation areas that combines everything beneficial features lavender, with greater resistance to weather conditions and less demanding on the environment. Its flowers are larger and its bushes are more powerful. In all the “postcard” photos of lavender, it’s lavandin.
Lavandin in autumn Where does it grow and when does it bloom?
If we are talking about France, then anywhere in historical Provence you will find both lavender and lavandin throughout the summer.
Flowering - from mid-June to mid-August . These are average numbers. The principle is this: lavandin blooms a little earlier than lavender, and the higher you go in the mountains, the later it blooms. Well, the size of the bush, you remember.
lavandin bushes are about to bloom Here is a translation of a map from a French site about lavender blossoms (I always use it, I have never been deceived). Here you can immediately see where lavender blooms and when it blooms:
map of lavender blossoms in Provence Armed with this map, you can safely go to a photo shoot in the lavender fields. I checked a couple of weeks ago. Everything is there where it should be.
Why so much lavender?
It's a trivial question, but really, why?
The first thing that comes to mind is perfume. That’s right, lavender essential oil, which is extracted almost immediately after picking the flowers, is used for perfume. Lavandin - for fragrances. Both essential oils are also very useful for therapeutic purposes. They calm, treat a huge number of minor illnesses, from colds to scratches, disinfect wounds and rooms, and so on, so on, so on. For example, I always have a small bottle of lavender oil with me, who knows what awaits us around the corner.
lavender fields In addition to oil, bouquets of dried lavender and sachets with flowers are popular, which fill the room with a magical aroma.
They also make so-called hydrosols or hydrolates from lavender - flower water that remains after distillation of the oil. This water is good to use as a lotion or tonic for ditz, diluted with distilled water.
You will find all these lavender products at any place, especially during the season. Be sure to buy yourself lavender oil - it will be your best souvenir and memory of lilac fields filled with the intoxicating aroma of peace and joy.
Lavender bouquets - a memory of summer Lavender is also used in cooking. Very often it is added to herbal teas or a set of spices. There is lavender liqueur and lavender honey. And I highly recommend trying the lavender ice cream. Very interesting taste!
In midsummer, lavender blooms in northern Provence. Lavender fields - business card Provence - not inferior in popularity Cote d'Azur. Postcard views of fields covered with purple rows of fragrant lavender attract many tourists to Haute-Provence. Lavender has been grown in this region for almost a thousand years for its soothing aroma and healing properties. We will tell you where and when the most famous lavender fields bloom, how to get there, what to buy and where to stay.
When
From the end of June when lavender blooms, and until early August when it is collected. The flowering period depends on the weather and the area where it grows. Below you will find a map of the flowering of lavender fields, on it fields that bloom from late June to July 15 are marked in light purple, those that bloom from early to July 25 are marked in blue, and fields that bloom from early July to July 25 are marked in dark purple. 10th of August.
Marked in orange big cities regions - Cannes, Avignon, Arles, Valence. In each of the cities we recommend visiting tourist office(Office de tourisme) and take it there detailed map lavender fields, which are renewed every year. There you can also learn about local holidays, fairs and festivals.
How to get there
By car. Renting a car is the most convenient solution, because most fields are not connected by trains or buses. And by car you can create your own route or drive along one of the roads that pass through the most beautiful fields and mountains, with stops in medieval villages and castles. It is best to start from Nice or Marseille. Days from manual transmission gears will cost from 1,700 rubles.
Public transport. You can travel by train from Paris or Marseille to Avignon, from where travel companies organize one-day bus routes through lavender fields. There is also a train from Avignon to Carpentras, where you can take the Carpentras - Sault bus, which goes through the lavender fields to old City So.
Cycling routes lavender fields are becoming increasingly popular, but they are only suitable for people with good physical fitness, because Provence has hills and mountains, and the average temperature in summer is 30-35°C.
Where
The main lavender fields are concentrated in three regions of Provence: Alpes of Haute-Provence, Vaucluse and Hautes-Alpes.. Many cities have tourism associations offering walking and cycling tours. All information about six Lavender roads (Routes de la lavande) in English is available on the website of the MoveYourAlps association (offline and online maps, information about holidays, attractions, hotels and campsites).
Main lavender flowering areas
- Plains and perfume factories of the Vercors, Diois and Drôme Provençal region, where lavender blooms from late June to late July. Drive from Crest to Baronnies, through the fields around Die and Rosans, where the road goes through low mountains, past plateaus with fields of lavender. Drôme Provencal is famous not only for lavender, but also for the medieval villages of Dieulefit, Grignon, Valréas.
- Hills and mountains in the region of Drôme, Vaucluse, Alpes de Haute Provence (Drôme, Vaucluse, Alpes de Haute Provence). From June to mid-July, lavender blooms in dozens of fields around the mountain villages of Vaison-la-Romaine, Nyons, Buis-les-Baronnies, Orpierre, Rosans.
- Mountains, ocher canyon and medieval castle in the area of Ventoux, Lure and Luberon. The towns of Gordes and Apt are surrounded by fields where lavender honey is sold, and the huge ocher canyon of Rustrel is called the Colorado of Provence because of its Martian landscapes. We recommend visiting at sunrise or sunset, when the canyon walls glow in all shades of red. Near the canyon is the medieval castle of Mane, and at the foot of the white Lure mountains the most fragrant mountain lavender grows.
- descent from the mountains to the Cote d'Azur in the area of Grasse and Valensole (Grasse et Valensole). Descend from the vast Valensole plateau, entirely covered with lavender, through Mézel and Barèmme to Castellane, next to which lies the Artuby lavender valley. The route ends in Grasse, the perfume capital of France. Here lavender blooms until mid-August.
Must see: lavender fields on the Valensole plateau
About Valensole plateau, which lies in the foothills of the Alps and looks like an endless sea of lavender, is worth telling separately. There are more than ten lavender fields on the plateau. You can see everything by following a 33 kilometer circular route: Valensole D56 east to Puimoisson - along D953 north to the Poteau de Telle junction - D8 back west to Valensole.
Near the Valensole plateau there is village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, included in the list of the most beautiful villages France, and 30 kilometers to the southeast is Verdon Gorge (Gorges du Verdon)- the most beautiful thing in France. We recommend visiting the Grand Canyon du Verdon - a giant gorge in limestone rocks, 700 meters deep, offering breathtaking views.
Lavender Festivals and Fairs:
- Lavender Festival in Saint André de Rosains, where they sell lavender oil and tinctures, perfumes, honey, soap, ice cream and even cakes. The festival takes place on the second weekend of August.
- Lavender Fair in Digne-les-Bains is the largest Lavender fair in Provence. They sell all kinds of products made from (or with the addition of) lavender, as well as the best dried fruits and candied fruits in France. Festive processions pass through the city, accompanied by hundreds of musicians and dancers. In addition to lavender, Digne-les-Bains is famous for its balneological baths, medieval churches and the only one in France Butterfly Park (Le Jardin des Papillons).
- Lavender Festival in Sault, which takes place on August 15, the day the lavender harvest in Provence ends. Craftsmen and perfumers come to Seau, master classes on making perfume and cosmetics are held here, gastronomic specialties are sold, musicians play old Provençal melodies, and a book fair takes place nearby.
French writer Jean Giono said: “Lavender is the soul of Provence.” And this is truly so, because it is impossible to imagine the south of France without its picturesque lavender fields. The flowering period of the so-called “blue gold” lasts from June to August, depending on the variety, climate and location. Fields of blooming lavender adorn the landscapes of Provence with enchanting tints of shades - from smoky lilac to blue-violet. The color of the plant is determined by the time of flowering and the weather in the region.
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, the 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.
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 a special charm to the local cuisine. In such establishments you can taste the lavender by ordering lavender sorbet, cookies or honey.
Under natural conditions in the famous historical region of France, Provence, two types of lilac plants grow - 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 in different time. For example, in the vicinity of the Luberon Natural Park and the 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 department and Vaucluse, the cities and small villages of which 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, colorful events, fairs, and competitions are organized on the territory of the settlement. 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. A large number of routes have been developed for tourists, which 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 walk over the colorful lavender fields on hot-air balloon. Such excursions are gladly organized for everyone in Forcalquier, Alpes-Haute-Provence department. In Avignon and Aix-en-Provence there are many tour operators organizing day trips with a visit 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.