Lavender fields in Provence how to get there. Provence in France with blooming lavender fields
Mind-blowing lavender fields of Provence in France really exist! If anyone thinks that this is fiction, then he is deeply mistaken and loses the opportunity to see them with his own eyes, but there really is something to admire.
Where are the lavender fields?
Lavender fields must be sought in France in the north of the Provence region. For example, they are not difficult to find near Drôme Provencale, the departments of Vaucluse and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, where you can also visit Lavender Museum in Coustellet. There are many lavender fields in the area of the city of Valensole, for example in the area of the Verdon Canyon.
Also There are lavender fields near cities such as Apt, Buech, Digne-les-Bains, Forcalquier and also near Sault. There are a lot of lavender fields in the village of Banon and the nearby villages of Avignon, Arles, Grasse, Aix-en-Provence, Gordes, as well as in Drôme Valley (Vallée de la Drôme).
To make it easier to find all these places, we have marked lavender fields on the map below. And also, for your convenience, we have compiled car routes through the lavender fields and at the end of the article detailed description how to get to lavender fields in France.
Description of the lavender fields of Provence
Lavender fields of ProvenceCleanest air the scent of lavender, endless lilac fields, which, depending on the weather and the flowering period, acquire colors from gray-lilac to blue-violet... isn’t it a fairy tale? During the lavender bloom the ground reflects the blue of the high sky so that it seems that you are walking on purple-blue clouds with your feet.
Lavender fields lie between picturesque villages and farms strewn with flowers. Real rural landscapes against the backdrop of stunning lavender fields that inspire many people to creative achievements.
Girl in a lavender field You can admire the lavender fields while walking on bicycles, and when traveling by car. Please note that you will have to overcome quite steep ascents and descents, so auto-walking is more preferable and comfortable. You can also admire the magnificent views and from regular buses, but then you won’t have the opportunity to go out, breathe in this wonderful aroma and take a few pictures for memory. Lavender fields are a great place for photo shoots.
Quite often, not far from the lavender fields you can see fields of wheat or sunflowers. The color schemes of golden yellow and lilac combine very well and look amazing in photographs.
Lavender flower Lavender is not only beautiful landscapes, it is used in folk medicine to relieve fatigue and restore strength. Also, essential oils, tinctures, perfumes, soaps, and honey are made from it. It is added to food, ice cream, chocolate, and in Provence you can order dishes made from lavender.
Close your eyes and inhale the sweet, slightly tart aroma of lavender that won't make you dizzy. If you want to hear a more intense lavender aroma, run your hand over the flowering bushes and take a deep breath.
Other photos from the lavender fields:
Safety Warning
There are a lot of bees in the lavender fields, and snakes can hide in the shade of the bushes, so be careful and attentive. Also, if a pregnant woman is near you, make sure that she does not stay here for a long time.
When to visit lavender fields
Cozy place in a lavender field As you might guess, lavender does not bloom all year round, so you need to choose the right time to travel. Lavender Bloom Days from mid-June to August depending on weather conditions. In order not to make a mistake with the dates It is better to go here at the peak of its flowering from late June to mid-July.
If you paint by region, In the Luberon and Rhone Valley, lavender usually blooms in mid-June. But on the plateau of Valensole and Drome Provençal - in early July. The latest lavender blooms in the commune of Seau is mid-July. For your convenience, we have created a convenient lavender bloom map depending on date:
In August, you have the opportunity to visit lavender processing factories and, if you’re lucky, take part in the process of extracting essential oil.
Lavender festivals
Selling lavender If you want to take part in thematic festivals where you can buy lavender oil and soap, bags of dried lavender and much more, then it will be useful for you to know lavender festival schedule:
What else to see in Provence
Abbey of Senank Senank Abbey is also famous for its lavender fields. The monks living there, in addition to growing lavender, are engaged in beekeeping. Finding the abbey is not difficult if you drive from Valensole to Gordes. You can enter the abbey three times a day at 10:30, 14:30 and 16:30. However, if you are not a connoisseur of architecture, then you are unlikely to be interested in this attraction.
In the northeastern part of Provence there are many rocky river gorges, pine forests and pastures. Walls rise above the city of Tarascon gothic castle 15th century.
In the south of Provence there is a powerful natural spring, the Vaucluse, and the Sargue River has stunning picturesque views.
How to get to the lavender fields
| If you want to take a bus tour to travel through the lavender fields, we advise you to book it in Avignon. | |
| You can also observe the beauty of lavender fields from the window of regular buses, for example on the Carpentras - Sault or Apt - Sault route. | |
| We will help the lucky owners of cars (or those who rented them) to build their route through the lavender fields. |
Routes through lavender fields
Route 1. Castellane - Grasse
Route length: 73 km
Route 2. Forcalquler - Castellane
Route length: 92 km
Travel time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Route 3. Sault - Forcalquler
Route length: 53 km
Travel time: 1 hour
Route 4. Carpentras - Apt
Route length: 54 km
Travel time: 1 hour
Route 5. Rosans - Sault
Route length: 71 km
Travel time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Route 6. Montélimar - Nyon
Route length: 52 km
Travel time: 1 hour
Blooming lavender fields are as impressive and world-famous a brand of 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
The site is in French, but when you open the "Lavender Routes" section on the main page, you can switch to 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, length and travel time are shown. different transport(car, motorcycle, bicycle), 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 rest on Cote d'Azur, 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.
You can rent a car for your trip to Provence and the Cote d'Azur here:
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(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.
Lavender fields in France (Provence, France) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.
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Among the postcard landscapes of the French countryside, there are hardly any more replicated than lavender fields. The soft purple lavender bushes extending into the horizon in slender fluffy stripes seem more like an outlandish carpet on which you want to fall asleep while waiting fairy tale, rather than generally related to the world of flora. The main “lavender” department of France - picturesque Provence - can boast hundreds of square kilometers of these fantastic alien landscapes, and in July-August there is a real pilgrimage of admiring tourists.
The official capital of lavender is the city of Saul in the Haute-Vaucluse department.
When to see
Lavender generally blooms from late June to mid-August, depending on the climate of the year. In order to be guaranteed to enjoy an unforgettable spectacle, the trip should be planned for the period from the second week of July to the beginning of August. Before this time, if the spring was cold, only unremarkable buds will appear before your eyes. Well, in August, lavender is already collected for further processing, so there is a risk of seeing “the fields are compressed, the groves are bare.”
To explore the lavender fields, it is definitely worth renting a car - this way you can move among the most picturesque landscapes and stop in the most picturesque places without depending on public transport.
Lavender fields, harvest
Where to go
Almost the entire countryside of Provence is planted with lavender fields. Once you drive a little away from Avignon, you will find yourself among lavender fields of one or another “intensity”. In general, although lavender here is the official symbol and the most popular ornamental plant - there is not a Provencal who has not planted at least a bush in his flowerbed - lavender cultivation fields are located mainly in three regions of northern Provence: in the Alps of Haute-Provence (the largest plantations), Haute-Vaucluse and Drome-Provençal.
At the Provence tourism office you can get a map of the Lavender Roads - tourist routes laid among the richest and most picturesque fields.
The Alps of Haute-Provence are the undisputed leader in the number of lavender plantations. The most extensive is the Valensole valley, which is actually a huge lavender field. Her main city In summer, Valensole is literally surrounded by the scent of lavender. From there you can go to the village of Digne-les-Bains among the most picturesque plantations. And in the town of Custelle it is worth visiting the Lavender Museum, where ancient distillation apparatuses are displayed and cosmetic products with lavender are sold.
The official capital of lavender is the city of Saul in the Haute-Vaucluse department. Its surroundings are a continuous purple carpet, along which walking routes are laid. tourist routes(they are marked with colored indicators depending on the degree of difficulty). On August 15, a colorful lavender festival is held in Sol - the end of its harvesting season.
It is also good to admire lavender in Drôme-Provençal, but the landscapes here are more varied - there are wheat and sunflower fields, as well as numerous vineyards.
When going for a walk among the lavender fields, be careful and watch out for bees!
Some time ago, tourists going on vacation to the South developed a new hobby. They found out about the lavender fields in Crimea - where they are and when they bloom, now whole lines of cars are heading to such places. The newlyweds are traveling for wedding photo, artists and simply lovers of nature, and, to be honest, petty swindlers intending to pick a sheaf of fragrant flowers “for free”.
Where are the lilac lands?
It is not easy to unequivocally answer the question of where the lavender fields, considered the best, are located in Crimea. There are quite a lot of them, and in different regions of the region. Previously, even under the USSR, there were even more of them, and raw materials from Taurida were even supplied to France and were in demand among local perfumers.
But even now there are many plantations. You can see them while driving along the route “Simferopol - Sudak”. You need to be especially careful after the village of Crimean Rose. There is even a village called Lavender (go from the capital by ) - of course, there are plantings near it. In the area of the main city of Crimea, lavender grows near the villages of Vodnoye, Mazanki, and Medicinal.
In Belogorye it is between the villages of Aromatnoye and Tsvetochnoye (appreciate the names!). The plantings are found in Uchkuevka, and on. But the Bakhchisarai region is the richest in lavender. Plantations are located near the villages of Kudrino, Shelkovichnoe, Rastuschee, Zavetnoe. The most famous and popular lavender field is located near the village of Turgenevka.
Seeing the famous lavender fields in Provence has been my dream for several years. And when else can dreams come true, if not on a birthday? 🙂 This year we were thinking about where it would be better to go – to England for the Ascot horse racing or to Provence in France. We chose Provence, but before last day Have you ever doubted when lavender blooms in Provence?Just in case, I turned again to Facebook, or, more precisely, to the Russian-speaking group on the Cote d'Azur. Opinions there were also divided, some said that it was too early, we should go at the beginning of July, and some said that it was already possible. One girl sent me a fresh photo next to lavender bushes and my mood immediately lifted. Of course, a lot depends on the weather, but this year on June 20 everything was already blooming and smelling. Having studied several sites about Provence, I can also say that the fields in the northern part of Provence begin to bloom earlier, and in August it is better to go to Provence closer to the sea - to the south.
Before traveling to Provence, for a complete understanding, I recommend reading Peter Mayle’s books, as well as watching the film “ Good year" I watched the film, but so far I’ve only read “A Year in Provence”, I’ll look for others. Peter Mayle moved to live from England to Provence and writes in an ironic tone about his impressions, about life in Provence, its inhabitants and attractions. During our trip, I remembered his book more than once and remarked: “Yes! Everything is just like that!" 🙂
On this trip to Provence, we decided to explore only northern part– Luberon or Haute-Provence, drive through picturesque villages, look at lavender fields and taste local wine. It seems to me that you need to go here exclusively by car. Yes we saw bus stops(but not a single bus), we saw railway(but it is not that close to the fields), we saw cyclists (but each of them had such stony faces with clenched teeth that they clearly did not enjoy the beauty of Provence). But with a car you can drive around the “real” Provence, through all the villages and towns, stop at any field, visit all the wineries and farms. True, the driver will have to limit himself in tastings :)
First of all, we booked a hotel in the village of Gordes. Since it was a birthday, we decided to choose the best one - La Bastide de Gordes, especially since it was just about to open after a major renovation. But a week before the trip, they sent us a letter, completely in the spirit of Provence, that they could not keep up with the repairs, but were ready to refund our money and give us a 30% discount on our next booking. Of course, we agreed to the discount, so next year we are going to Provence again! We will see what we didn’t have time to do in the Luberon, and we will go to southern Provence.
And this time we stayed for Friday night in a small hotel near the village of Sault, and the second in a wonderful bed & breakfast 3 km from Menerbes. It's called La Bastide de Soubeyras.
The house has a swimming pool, several rooms, beautiful lawns and a wonderful view from the dining room where breakfast is served.
The owners live in the same house with their dog and cat. We were greeted very cordially, we felt like we were not in a hotel, but as guests.
We started Saturday morning in the village of Simiane la Rotonde. We found a single store there, had breakfast for 9 euros and got ready to go to Saint Saturnin les Aptes. This is where we saw our first lavender field!
And when we drove around it, on the other side we saw Simiane la Rotonde on a rock.
This is exactly what all Provençal villages look like - houses are arranged in a circle on the top of a hill.
It takes half an hour by car to get to Saint Saturnin les Aptes from Simiane la Rotonde. Along the road we passed other lavender fields, vineyards, poppies...
In Saint Saturnin les Aptes we went up and looked at the old mill.
Then we wandered through the ruins of the castle and reached the very top to the church. If there is a castle in a Provençal village, it is always at the very peak. That is, you need to take very comfortable shoes in order to climb up the rocks.
The next town was Gordes, the same one we originally wanted to stop at. He is considered one of the most beautiful towns France.
To be honest, the city center did not make much of an impression. Moreover, there was such a powerful wind there that I was simply blown away!
But at the entrance to Gordus, below we found a very beautiful house, perhaps also a hotel, or the owners of the house simply did not lock the gate, and I went into the yard there.
A cozy courtyard, garden, swimming pool, flowers everywhere - just a fairy tale.
We decided to have lunch in Gorda, but chose a completely unsuccessful restaurant. I asked him to recommend some good local wine. They brought me a glass of white wine, which I couldn’t drink at all – I could clearly feel the alcohol and bitterness, it was so dry. She asked me to bring something else - it tasted exactly the same. In the end, I couldn’t drink this wine, but both glasses were still included in the bill, such is the attitude towards tourists.
Co observation platforms in Gordes you can see where the lavender and grape fields are located, and then drive through them.
We noticed several fields and were then able to look at Gordes from the other side.
Having bought lavender soap and white kitchen towels with embroidered lavender in a souvenir shop, we went to see the most famous abbey in Provence - Senanque Abbey.
Photos of this abbey appear quite often when you enter the words “lavender fields of Provence” into a search engine.
You can go on a tour to the abbey itself, but our trip was very short, so we didn’t go to any museums or excursions. Moreover, thanks to the Internet and travel agencies, Senank Abbey is very popular, and it was the only place in all of Provence, where besides us there were two more tourist buses(one with Ukrainian tourists, by the way), and there were no empty spaces in the parking lot.
The next village is Fontaine de Vaucluse, along which a river with cascades flows.
There are caves to visit, a watermill and grottoes.
You can approach the grotto by climbing up the path along the river. True, the grotto itself is fenced off, but even a danger sign does not stop those who want to come closer. We also jumped over the fence and this is what we saw.
From Fontaine de Vaucluse we went to the village of Opedde le vieux. On the way we stopped for wine tasting. Having tried all the wine that was available, I already began to think that in Provence all wine was the same - with a bitter aftertaste, and I was even upset.
Opedde le vieux is a village that can only be navigated on foot, as there is no parking. Guidebooks to Provence say that here you can see the ruins of an old castle. At the foot of the village there is a park, and the village itself has streets straight out of a postcard.
But the castle turned out to be closed for restoration, which we found out about only after climbing to the very top of the mountain.
This was our first day in Provence, full of impressions. Tired and happy, we arrived at our hotel La Bastide de Soubeyras near Menerbes. We checked in, left our things and went to the La Veranda restaurant in Menerbes, booked by the hotel owner.
I can definitely recommend this restaurant! I don’t know what worked here - either it really treats all clients so well, or a real estate magazine that we grabbed from an agency nearby. Leafing through this magazine and comparing prices with those in Geneva, we continually admired the luxurious houses “for only” a million euros, imagining how much it would cost here. They probably took us for potential new residents of Provence and tried to please us :)
Whatever it was, everything was very tasty until the steaks arrived. It was impossible to chew from it, so we asked for something else. An excited cook came from the kitchen, took our plates and brought us a new portion of excellent meat. As a result, not only were we not charged for the “first pancake,” but also the cost of dessert was deducted from the bill as compensation. They also recommended good local wine to us and told us where we could buy it. So the next day we went for a tasting at Domaine Ruffinatto in a small house and brought home several bottles of red and white wine from Provence - this is how the reputation of the wine region was saved in my eyes :)
Before leaving home, we couldn’t help but stop at Lacoste, one of the most famous Provençal towns. We wanted to see the castle of the Marquis de Sade, but it was closed on Sunday.
Immediately upon entering the town we were greeted by such a cute restaurant by the road.
Lacoste is all paved with white polished stones, all the roads, walls and houses are a pleasant sand color.
You definitely can’t walk around a town like this in heels; even though I was walking low, my Jimmy Choos took a lot of damage during this trip. So it’s better to wear something sports on your feet for Provence, especially for the fields.
Our two days in Provence flew by very quickly, it was a pity to leave such beauty! Everything turned out to be even better than I imagined when I was planning the trip. Unforgettable impressions after a trip to the Luberon are guaranteed, especially when the lavender is in bloom in Provence. It would be interesting to know the opinions of those who traveled to Provence as part of bus tour– is it so interesting? I can’t imagine how you can limit yourself in time, travel in a group, and not be able to stop near any lavender field or farm with fresh peaches, cherries and tomatoes you like!
You definitely shouldn’t rush anywhere in Provence, otherwise you won’t be able to experience it. And you won’t recognize him in one trip. The same Peter Mail has been living in Provence for several decades, but still constantly discovers something new and writes new books...
And in the summer of 2016 we went to Provence again and visited a wonderful
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