Where are the lavender fields when they bloom? Where does lavender grow in Russia - features, properties and interesting facts. Lavender processing plants
At the end of June, residents and guests of the Cote d'Azur traditionally rush to Provence to stroll through the amazing lavender fields, do beautiful pictures and, of course, take home heavy blue bouquets. "Azure Day" will tell Interesting Facts about the lavender of Provence, why it is called lavender, and also what distances you need to go to get a good dose of lavender mood.
Let's wash ourselves with lavender
In French There is a verb “to wash” – laver. French, as you know, takes its roots from Latin, and this dead language also had the verb lava - “to wash”. The fact is that the ancient Romans added this blue flower to the water for washing and bathing, so they called it lavender.
Despite the fact that lavender is used in medicine and gastronomy, it is most needed by perfumers, cosmetologists and aromatherapists.
Can you find real lavender?
You've probably noticed when you go to any traditional goods store that none of them are complete without olives and lavender. Lavender soap, perfumes, oils, towels with the image of this flower - the whole of Provence and the Cote d'Azur are literally saturated with lavender, although the famous fields are located mainly in Haute Provence. By the way, this is why lavender is often called the soul of Haute Provence.
There are 46 varieties of lavender known in the world, but only one of them is considered the best and true. This is Lavandula angustifolia. In Provence, this species is grown in places between 500 and 1000 meters above sea level. Lavandula angustifolia can be recognized by its long, thin branch, sometimes up to a meter high, with one flower spike.
It grows in the form of bushes. This variety is considered the most suitable for preparing essential oils, and therefore the most elite. By the way, it takes about one hectare of lavender to produce just 15 kg of oil.
The second type is called Le lavandin - a hybrid of true lavender and aspic lavender.
The peculiarity is that the stem can have several branches with flowers, and this makes the flower more bulky. In addition, the species is four times more productive than Lavandula angustifolia.
Lavender time
The flowering period of lavender begins at the end of June and lasts until the end of August. Much depends on the weather; the warmer and sunnier it is, the sooner the lavender blooms. But!!! Already in mid-July, lavender begins to be collected. The very first is cut off on the Valensole plateau and at the end of August in Forcalquier. Therefore, if you want to plunge into this purple paradise, you need to hurry. Here is a list of places to go for lavender.
1. Plateau of Valensole (Le plateau de Valensole (Alpes de Haute Provence). Here lavender begins to bloom from mid-June. But besides lavender, there are also fields with almonds, olive trees and grains. About 800 meters square patchwork with incredible smells and colors .
2. Plateau de Claparèdes, Luberon (Vaucluse). Lavender fields here extend at the foot of the Sénanque Abbey and around the small villages of the Luberon. It is pleasant to ride along the small country roads of this area by bicycle or by car. After your photo session with the lavender, don't forget to visit the Senanque Abbey and the village of Gordes. It is located just on a hill overlooking the lavender plain.
3. Albion Plateau (Le plateau d’Albion (Vaucluse, Drôme). Next to the plateau on a rocky hill 700 meters above sea level is the village of Sault. From there you can see the huge fields lavenders that shine an incredible blue color. Lavender usually blooms here in mid-July. From the village there is a 5 km path along which you can walk through the fields. Sol is also a good starting point for hiking to Mount Ventoux and the Nazque Gorge.
Lavender holidays
Is it possible that in the places where this marvelous flower grows there would not be a holiday in its honor? Of course, there is more than one. Here is the list for the upcoming dates.
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 aroma of lavender, run your hand over the flowering bushes and inhale deeply.
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 the lavender field As you might guess, lavender does not bloom all year round, so you need to choose right time for the trip. 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 use bus tour for a trip 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
https://site/interesnie-mesta-krima/plazniy_otdyh_v_krymu/
Few people know that one of the most impressive summer trips will be an excursion to the lavender fields in Crimea. They are in no way inferior to the famous French ones, which tourists from all over the world come to see. Moreover, you will like it more here, because the largest lavender field in Europe is located in Crimea. A lot of entertainment, holidays and production are organized around this summer flower - lavender is added to food, cosmetics are made, etc. Be sure to visit the lavender fields in Crimea: it’s worth going here at least for a colorful photo shoot or simply contemplating the endless violet expanses. We will tell you where lavender grows in Crimea and how to get there!
Lavender has become people's favorite flower since ancient times. The Catholic Church even recognized it as a sacred plant, therefore, during the ordination of priests, these flowers also took part in the ceremony. Ordinary Catholics made lavender crosses from twigs and decorated the doors of their houses with flowers.
It is believed that the Egyptians were the discoverers of lavender. The plant was used as incense, was part of embalming ointments, and accompanied the pharaohs to the other world.
It is not for nothing that the lavender fields in Crimea attract so many visitors: in the Middle Ages, the flower began to be used for the production of perfume. Later, when they noticed medicinal properties lavender, it began to be grown in large quantities. For example, Hippocrates believed that it heals the liver and spleen and relieves headaches. Parkinson echoed him, counting lavender the best remedy from head diseases. During World War I, the French treated wounds with lavender essential oil.
Nowadays, this amazingly fragrant plant is used in many areas: in perfumery and cosmetology, medicine and chemistry, in food production and in everyday life.
Lavender fields in Crimea
He considers the Mediterranean coast of France and Spain to be the birthplace of lavender; the plant has been cultivated in Russia since 1752. However, then Princess Elizabeth’s attempt ended in failure. In 1813 Nikitsky Botanical Garden again began to plant lavender fields in Crimea. It turned out that the climate of the peninsula is surprisingly suitable for the plant - it does not like a lot of moisture and is not afraid of dry winds.
Under Soviet rule, crops in lavender fields in Crimea became industrial, amounting to 2.5 thousand hectares. It was used in the industry of the Soviet Union, and when it turned out that in some respects the Crimean lavender essential oil was superior even to the Provencal one, France began to purchase lavender flowers in large quantities.
It is known that the largest lavender field in Crimea occupies more than 120 hectares. This plantation is over 25 years old. It is located in the Bakhchisaray district in the village of Turgenevka.
When does lavender bloom in Crimea?
It is difficult to make an accurate forecast of the lavender flowering period in Crimea, since it is influenced by the weather in the spring and other climate factors. As a rule, lavender fields in Crimea bloom in June-July. If you want to definitely get to the bright purple plantations, come in mid-July. Next, lavender retains flowers until August, but gradually its shades become paler. By the way, if you are interested in when lavender and poppies bloom in Crimea, then we inform you that this process does not occur at the same time. Poppies bloom in May, and lavender in July.
It is in July that in the lavender fields in Crimea, every bush flares up in a bright lilac color, like fireworks, and there is a hum above the field - these are bees collecting nectar. The smell of lavender hovers over the entire peninsula both during the lavender harvest period and later, when small bunches of it are already sold by grandmothers at bazaars. If you are lucky enough to get to Crimea at the time of its flowering, look at the lavender fields in Crimea in different time days, the shade of blooming lavender changes depending on the amount of sun (this is important for photo shoots).
Unlike Provencal, Crimean lavender looks a little different. The fact is that in France the plant is planted in rows, but in our country it is planted chaotically. Thanks to this, lavender fields in Crimea look like a uniform lilac sea.
Where are the lavender fields in Crimea 2020
Lavender fields in Crimea have been preserved in many areas of the peninsula, but sometimes it is quite difficult to find them: some of them are abandoned, while others are located far from tourist trails.
However, there are a few well maintained plantations. If you are interested in the lavender fields where they are located in Crimea, we will give you a few coordinates:
- Most of the lavender fields in Crimea have been preserved in the Bakhchisarai region: near the villages of Turgenevka, Kudrino, Shelkovichnoye, Rastushchee, Zavetnoye and Tarasovka.
- Highway Simferopol-Alushta: near the village of Lavender.
- Highway Simferopol-Sudak: near the village of Crimean Rose.
- Highway Simferopol-Nikolaevka: near the villages of Vodnoye, Medicinal.
- Near Simferopol: near the villages of Mazanka and Opushki.
- In the Belogorsky district: near the villages of Aromatnoye and Tsvetochnoye.
- Cape Tarkhankut: near the village of Olenevka.
More small lavender fields in Crimea in 2020 can be found near Sevastopol: in the village of Uchkuevka (at the entrance and near the post office), near the village of Andreevka and on the Mekenze Mountains.
There are many lavender fields around Alushta; in the summer there is even a lavender festival here, as well as many master classes and excursions.
How to visit lavender fields in Crimea
If you travel by car, you can see the flowers on your own. There are also special excursions. Thanks to them, you can find out the lavender fields in Crimea where they are located:
- The Alushta essential oil plant conducts excursions during the lavender flowering period, and organizes it in retro style: they take you to the mountains by bus, talk about lavender, conduct a master class on weaving wreaths, treat you to Crimean herbal tea, and even allow you to pick some flowers from the lavender fields in Crimea for myself. The same excursion will be organized on horseback.
- Private tours can be organized by private guides. During the walk you will visit lavender fields in Crimea and observation decks, take a lot of photos, go to cozy teahouses next to the plantations.
For independent tourists It should be clarified that Crimean farmers do not always welcome guests - sometimes the entrance to the territory is closed in order to preserve the lavender fields in Crimea. In this case, you can walk and admire them from the side.
Picturesque landscapes that will take your breath away, hearty dinners and delicious wines, the polyphonic chirping of cicadas and birdsong - this is what I primarily associate with Provence and France. And of course, Provence for me is the same lavender, photographs of which are exactly the same symbol of France as the Eiffel Tower.
But traveling on your own to find blooming lavender in Provence has many nuances that you should be aware of if, like me, you dream of seeing this lavender sea and the rural side of France with your own eyes.
Could it be possible to come up with a better advertisement for Provence than the paintings of famous artists? For whom Provence has always been a source of inspiration and actually showed the world such names as Cezanne, Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso and many others.
The pastoral landscapes of Provence are an invariable part of many French films and famous literary works. I saw, read and heard so much about Provence that traveling there was (and remains, because I haven’t seen everything there 8) a big tourist dream
Well, after reading “A Year in Provence” by Peter Mile, my decision to go to Provence for at least a week became decisive and so we began preparing for the trip.
Information about independent travel There are, surprisingly, not so many in Provence for lavender fields. (especially without a car).
I will share the basic information that all travelers who want to include a visit to lavender fields in their travel program in France should know.
From mid-June until almost the end of August, the lavender fields of Provence bloom.
In the Luberon region and the Rhone Valley, lavender blooms in mid-June. On the plateau of Valensole and Drome Provençal - in early July.
The Sault area blooms in mid-July.
The peak of lavender flowering in Provence is July-August. The lavender harvest occurs from July to September.
Welcome to Provence or watch out for snakes!
Looking at all these breathtaking photos of lavender on stock photo sites, where girls with carefree faces are running through lavender fields, I could not imagine how unsafe this activity is.
Our guide immediately warned - do not lean towards the lavender bushes and do not go too deep, here vipers really like to hide in the shade of lavender. So, after this warning, I would not even run through these fields at gunpoint, feigning incredible pleasure from being in such beauty.
The most prudent thing was to listen to the words of the guide, because in the first couple of days in Provence I had already encountered several rather large snakes and regretted that I had not brought wading boots on the trip.
To be honest, in tropical Thailand I saw snakes much less frequently, even on excursions through the jungle, than in the courtyard of our Provençal estate where we were staying.
So, already on the first day, these meetings discouraged me from not only walking here, but also riding a rented bicycle, as we had originally planned. After all, snakes often crawl out to warm themselves on the hot asphalt of roads. A car can run over a snake without any damage, but on a bicycle it’s not so safe. Who knows how to go around a snake - from the front or the back? Perhaps she will crawl away when she sees me, or maybe she will be angry that I am disturbing her peace and will overtake me? In general, fear and horror are continuous and completely unexpected.
So if you are planning a romantic photo shoot in the fields of Provence, take waist-high rubber boots. Now I definitely won’t go there without the swampers)))
Territories with lavender fields
The lavender fields of Provence occupy several districts (pays)
— Pays d’Apt - Luberon (where I ended up going)
— Pays de Buech - Baronnies
—Pays de Digne
— Pays de Forcalquier et Montagne de Lure
— Pays de Sault et du Ventoux
— Pays de Valensole et du Verdon
—Drome Provençale
— Vallée de la Drôme - Diois
Driving routes with blooming lavender fields along the road:
Car rental in Provence:
I found the best deals for car rental in Marseille, in the cities of the Cote d'Azur (Nice, Cannes, etc. a car costs much more)
Important lavender addresses in Provence on the map
You can choose the most interesting ones to visit, or those that will be located near your accommodation:
The largest lavender farms in Provence
La Ferme de Gerbaud
The farm is not only about lavender, there is also a whole farm with horses, cows and donkeys.
The farm is open to tourists from April to October on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 5 pm, in November and March on Saturdays at 3 pm.
The tour takes 90 minutes and is conducted in English or French.
Farm address:
La Ferme de Gerbaud, Lourmarin 84160 France
http://www.plantes-aromatiques-provence.com
Tel: 04 90 68 11 83
Ho! Bouquet de lavender
The farm is open to visitors from late April to mid-November. Here you can buy essential oils and various lavender products.
Address:
Ferrassieres 26570 France
http://www.hobouquetdelavande.com/
0475288752
Les Lavandes du Gaec Champelle
The farm is open to tour groups by appointment. There is also a shop selling lavender souvenirs, which is open from April to October.
Address:
Sault France
http://www.gaec-champelle.fr
04 90 64 01 50
Lavender processing plants
GAEC Aroma'Plantes
Farm with lavender processing plant, operating since 1978. Here you can buy dried lavender, essential oils, aromatic water, alcoholic drinks and syrup.
It is open all year round and here you can walk around the farm and taste the distillery’s distillery products for free
Address:
GAEC Aroma'Plantes
Route du Ventoux "La Parente"
Sault 84390 France
http://www.distillerie-aromaplantes.com/
Tel: 04 90 64 04 02 / 04 90 64 14 73
Distillerie les Coulets
Traditional lavender distillery, open all year round to sell lavender souvenirs.
Visits to the plant in July-August from 9-12.00 and 14-16.00 are free.
Address:
Distillerie les Coulets
Hameau les Coulets Route de Rustrel
Apt 84400 France
Tel: 04 90 74 07 55
Distillerie du Vallon
Free visits to the plant from July 25 to August 25.
Address:
Distillerie du Vallon
Le Vallon Route des Michouilles
Sault 84390 France
Tel: 04 90 64 14 83
Distillerie Les Agnels
The Lavender Distillery is open all year, selling organic essential oils. What’s noteworthy is that there is a healing pool with lavender water.
Address:
route de Buoux Apt France
http://www.lesagnels.com/
04 90 04 77 00
Lavender Museum in Provence Musée de la Lavande
Here you will see the history of lavender processing from the 16th century to the present day, and in general you will learn everything you wanted to know about lavender, but were afraid to ask.
Address:
Musée de la Lavande
276 Route de Gordes
CS50016 - D2
84220 COUSTELLET
Tel: 04 90 76 91 23
http://www.museedelalavande.com/en/
For individual visits to the museum the following conditions apply:
Ticket adult: 6.80 €, children under 15 years old accompanied by parents free. The last ticket is sold half an hour before closing.
Free audio guides in 10 languages, incl. in Russian
Guided tours run from 13.30-17.00 daily from May to September.
The museum itself is open 7 days a week from February 1 to December 31 (closed at Christmas - December 25)
Opening hours:
February-April and from October to December from 9.00 to 12.15 and from 14.00 to 18.00
From May-September from 9.00-19.00 without a break9 to 7 non-stop
The museum is closed in January.
Schedule of lavender festivals in Provence
Riez: last days July - Lavender fete
Valensole: Lavender fête. Annual lavender festival in the second half of July (usually the third Sunday of July)
Digne: Lavender Parade, every year in early August. At the end of August is Lavender Day.
Thorame-Haute: Lavender fête: 2nd weekend of August
Esparron sur Verdon: lavender festival in mid-August
Sault: mid-August (August 14 - 15) - lavender festival, lavender picking competitions, flower crews
Valreas: lavender parade, flower carriages, folk performances. Every year on the first weekend of August.
Festivals and Corsos de Lavande
July 14 Apt- Fête de la lavender
July - 2nd half of Riez- Fête de la lavender
July -2nd half of Valensole- Fête de la lavender
August, 1st weekend Valré s - Corso de la lavande.
August, beginning of Digne-les-Bains- Corso de la lavender
August, mid Esparron-sur-Verdon- Fête de la lavender
August, mid Riez- Journée du miel et de la lavande (honey and lavender)
August, mid Sault- Fête de la lavender.
Buy air tickets to Provence
Book hotels in Provence
Well everything seems useful information I told you, now I can talk about my adventures in Provence with peace of mind. 8) If you have any questions, be sure to ask, I know, I’ll definitely tell you more.
- For those who want to see cherry blossoms or walk through a purple lavender field, Skyscanner tells about best places world, where you can admire the flowers, advises when and how best to get there:
And subscribe to my blog updates so you don’t miss the continuation of my Provençal photo stories.
My current Provençal itinerary included very interesting and scenic spots- ancient town Apt, where delicious confits are made from fruits, the medieval residence of the popes - the city Avignon, village Roussillon, famous for its ocher rocks and similar to its big brother from America - the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and another village Proud, located on a high cliff.
About mine from the year before last trip to France and about a thousand-year history from my recent trip, I have already written my posts, and you can even read and watch them 8)
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 agriculture, primarily by growing lavender and preparing various products from it, which is why 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 section " Lavender routes" on the main page, you can switch to the English version. To plan your trip, language is not so important: everything is detailed and intuitive, there are maps. When you click on each of the six main routes, its first and last points and length are shown and travel time different transport(car, motorcycle, bicycle), the most interesting sights are marked with special signs with stars. Each of 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 travel 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 mountain serpentine towards Grasse, although this is not logical - usually everyone from the coast 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:
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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.
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