Some time ago, tourists going on vacation to the South had a new hobby. They found out about the lavender fields in the Crimea - where they are and when they bloom, now whole strings of cars are heading to such places. Newlyweds go for a wedding photo, artists and just nature lovers, and, to be honest, petty swindlers who intend to pick up a sheaf of fragrant flowers for nothing.
Where are the lilac lands located?
It is not easy to unequivocally answer the question where are the lavender fields in Crimea, which are considered the best. There are quite a lot of them, and in different regions of the region. Earlier, 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 perfumers there.
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 (to go from the capital to) - of course, there are landings near it. In the area of the main city of Crimea, lavender grows near the villages of Vodnoe, Mazanki, Medicinal.
In Belogorye, it is between the villages of Fragrant and Tsvetochnoye (appreciate the names!). Plantations are found in Uchkuevka, and on. But the Bakhchisarai region is the richest in lavender. Plantations are planted near the villages of Kudrino, Shelkovichnoe, Growing, Zavetnoe. The most famous and popular lavender field is located near the village of Turgenevka.
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 trip.
When does lavender bloom in Provence?
The flowering time of lavender in Provence falls on the period 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, on 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 the Lavender fields in Provence, France?
Lavender fields are located in the northern part of Provence: in the tourist area of Drome 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 Drome region, along the A51 motorway to the Alpes-de-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. You should not deprive attention of the nearest villages: 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 just fine. On the way from Valensole to the city of Gordes, the famous abbey de Senanque is located. You can get into this abbey only three times a day at a well-defined time. A tour of the abbey grounds takes over an hour and costs 
7 euros. As the reviews of tourists who have visited this excursion say, only a true connoisseur of architecture can withstand it. In addition, in Provence, during the flowering period of lavender fields, farms that grow 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 production of essential oils and perfumes. Along the entire route, shops and shops hospitably open their doors to tourists, offering to buy a huge amount of goods of their own production: pillows stuffed with dried lavender, lavender honey and soap.
Driving through Provence in the summer, you constantly meet lonely cars on the side of the road, the owners of which with cameras conquer every plot of the nearest lavender field, trying to capture every blade of grass and bush of this fragrant and beautiful flower for a long time. The fragrance of lavender spreads hundreds of meters and catches up with you in the nearest towns and villages, especially during the harvest season. The mood improves, everything around becomes beautiful. That's purple magic. Let's figure out what, where and when to look for, and, in fact, why and why.
Lavender fields of Provencal 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 areas, which combines all the beneficial properties of lavender, with greater resistance to weather conditions and less demanding habitat. Its flowers are larger, the bushes are more powerful. On all the "postcard" photos of lavender - just 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 the mountains, the later flowering. 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 bloom (I always use it, they have never deceived me yet). Here you can immediately see where lavender blooms, and when it blooms:
map of lavender bloom in Provence Armed with this card, you can safely go to photo shoots in the lavender fields. I checked a couple of weeks ago. Everything is there and where it should be.
Why so much lavender?
A trite question, but really, why?
The first thing that comes to mind is perfume. Quite right, lavender essential oil, which is extracted almost immediately after the flowers are harvested, is used for perfumery. Lavandin - for fragrances. Both essential oils are also very useful for therapeutic purposes. They soothe, treat a huge number of minor diseases, 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.
Lavender is also used to make the so-called hydrosols or hydrolates - flower water that remains after the distillation of the oil. It is good to use such water as a lotion or tonic for ditches, diluted with distilled water.
You will find all these lavender products anywhere especially in season. Be sure to buy yourself lavender oil - it will be your best souvenir and memory of purple fields filled with the intoxicating aroma of peace and joy.
Bouquets of lavender - a memory of summer Lavender is also used in cooking. Very often it is added to the composition of 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!
Picturesque landscapes that take your breath away, hearty dinners and delicious wines, the many-voiced chirping of cicadas and the singing of birds are what I first of all associate with Provence and France. And of course, Provence for me is the same lavender, the photographs of which are exactly the same symbol of France as the Eiffel Tower.
But traveling for lavender blossoms in Provence on your own has a lot of nuances to be aware of if, like me, you dream of seeing this lavender sea and the rural side of France with your own eyes.
Is it 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 revealed to 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 still is, because I didn’t see 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 took on decisive features, and so we began preparing for the trip.
Information about independent travel to Provence beyond the lavender fields, surprisingly, not so much. (especially without a car).
I will share the basic information that all travelers who want to include a visit to the lavender fields in their travel program in France should know.
From mid-June until the very 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 Provencal - in early July.
The Sault area blooms in mid-July.
The peak of lavender flowering in Provence is July-August. The lavender harvest takes place from July to September.
Welcome to Provence or watch out, snakes!
Looking at all those breathtaking lavender photos on photo stocks, where girls with carefree faces run 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 love to hide in the shade of lavender. So, after this warning, I would not even go running at gunpoint through these fields, portraying the incredible pleasure of 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 bog boots on the trip.
To be honest, in tropical Thailand I met snakes much less often even on excursions through the jungle than in the courtyard of our Provencal estate, where we stayed.
So already on the first day, these meetings discouraged me from not only walking here, but also riding a rented bike, as we originally planned. After all, snakes often crawl out to bask on hot asphalt roads. This car can run over a snake without any damage, but on a bicycle it is no longer so safe. Who knows how the snake should go around - in front or behind? Perhaps she, seeing me, will crawl away, or maybe she will get angry that I disturb her peace and overtake me? In general, fear and horror are continuous and completely unexpected.
So if you are going to do a romantic photo shoot in the fields of Provence, grab waist-high rubber boots. I'm definitely not going there now without swamps)))
Areas with lavender fields
The lavender fields of Provence cover 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
— Drôme Provençale
—Vallee de la Drôme - Diois
Driving routes with blooming lavender fields along the way:
Car rental in Provence:
I found the most profitable car rental deals 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 5pm, in November and March on Saturdays at 3pm.
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 for 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
A farm with a lavender processing plant operating since 1978. Here you can buy dried lavender, essential oils, aromatic water, alcoholic drinks and syrup.
Open all year round and here you can walk around the farm and taste the distillery products of the plant 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
Distillery les Coulets
Traditional lavender distillery, open all year round for the sale of lavender souvenirs.
Factory visits in July-August from 9-12.00 and 14-16.00 free of charge.
Address:
Distillery les Coulets
Hameau les Coulets Route de Rustrel
Apt 84400 France
Tel: 04 90 74 07 55
Distillery du Vallon
Free factory visits from 25 July to 25 August.
Address:
Distillery du Vallon
Le Vallon Route des Michouilles
Sault 84390 France
Tel: 04 90 64 14 83
Distillery Les Agnels
The lavender distillery is open all year selling organic essential oils. Remarkably, 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:
Musee 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 accompanied by parents free of charge. 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 (with Christmas holidays on December 25)
Opening hours:
February-April and from October to December from 9.00 to 12.15 and from 14.00 to 18.00
May-September from 9.00-19.00 without break9 to 7 non-stop
The museum is closed in January.
Schedule of lavender festivals in Provence
Riez: last days July - Lavender fête
Valensole: Lavender fête. Annual lavender festival in the second half of July (usually the third Sunday in July)
Digne: Lavender parade, annually in early August. At the end of August - 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 carriages
Valreas: lavender parade, flower carriages, folk performances. Every year on the first weekend of August.
Festivals and Corsos de Lavande
Jul 14 Apt- Fete de la lavande
July - 2nd half Riez- Fete de la lavande
July -2nd half Valensole- Fete de la lavande
August, 1st weekend of Valré s - Corso de la lavande.
August, beginning of Digne-les-Bains- Corso de la lavender
August, middle of Esparron-sur-Verdon- Fete de la lavande
August, mid-Riez- Journée du miel et de la lavande (honey and lavender)
August, mid-Sault- Fete de la lavande.
Buy tickets to Provence
Book hotels in Provence
Well everything is like useful information told, now with a calm soul I can talk about my adventures in Provence. 8) If you have any questions, be sure to ask what I know, I will definitely tell you.
- For those who want to see cherry blossoms or walk through a purple lavender field, Skyscanner talks about the best places world where you can admire the flowers, advises when and how best to get there:
And subscribe to my blog updates so as not to miss the continuation of my Provencal photo stories.
My current Provencal itinerary included very interesting and scenic spots- ancient town Apt, where delicious confits are cooked from fruits, the medieval residence of the popes is 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 perched on a high cliff.
About mine from the trip to France before last and about a thousand-year-old story from my recent trip, I have already written my posts, and you can even read and watch them 8)
This is not photoshop. These are not paintings by artists. Lavender fields are a stunning reality of Provence. Endless, going beyond the horizon, rows of lavender in French province Provence is known throughout the world for its unrealistically beautiful and serene views. Extensive lavender fields are scattered throughout the province, but most of them lie in the northern part of it.
Lavender fields on the map
- Geographic coordinates 43.929024, 5.187149 (these are the coordinates of the abbey that has been growing lavender for many years)
- The distance from the capital of France, Paris, is approximately 600 km in a straight line.
- Distance to the nearest airport Marseille 55 km
- Nimes Ales Camargue Seven Airport is about 65 km away
No wonder lavender is called the "Soul of Provence" and "blue gold". During the flowering period (July-August), many corners of the province are filled with truly unreal beauty and fragrance. Colors shimmer from gray-lilac to bright purple. This is due to the climate and weather conditions of different sites, as well as the time of flowering. The local places with their small village houses against the backdrop of the most beautiful lilac and purple fields have long attracted artists, lovers of romance and just tourists. Unrealistically beautiful and fabulously attractive landscapes of the surroundings literally drive you crazy, making you believe in a miracle.
Lavender is a beautiful small shrub of the Lamiaceae family with flowers in various shades of lilac, purple and blue. This family also includes sage, basil, rosemary and lemon balm. Lavender grows in many parts of the world. It can be found in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and even on canary islands. Mankind has long appreciated this plant. The ancient Greeks revered lavender and considered it a noble plant. The Romans used it as a relaxing bathing agent, calling it Lavandula. Also, for a long time people have learned how to produce lavender oil and extract and widely used these products in medicine and perfumery.
Modern inhabitants of Provence have long been engaged in the cultivation of lavender on an industrial scale. It is cultivated and improved by many farmers in the region. Previously, this process was laborious (for example, the collection was carried out by women using ordinary sickles), but since the middle of the last century, lavender-harvesting (if I may say so) tractors and combines have replaced manual labor.
Work went "more fun". Territories of lavender fields began to increase. And now we can say with full confidence that in addition to the Verdon Gorge, located a few tens of kilometers to the east, the Lavender Fields are one of the most impressive sights of Provence.
Provence breathes and lives with lavender. In addition to the mentioned cosmetics and perfumes, lavender is used to produce original honey. Chefs actively introduce it into the recipes of their dishes, adding a kind of zest and originality to the local cuisine.
In Provence, two varieties of this plant mainly grow - lavender and lavandin. Up to 500-600 m above sea level, lavandin grows (a species bred by breeders), which is mainly used in the production of soap, various creams and cleaning products. Lavender grows higher, at an altitude of 700 m above the sea. It serves as a raw material for obtaining high-quality essential oils and extracts. It is lavender, for its extremely beneficial properties and indescribable aroma, that is highly valued by manufacturers of cosmetics and perfumes.
The most impressive lavender fields are located in the areas of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Vaucluse and Valensole. It is noteworthy that sometimes against the background of lavender there are fields sown with sunflowers and wheat, creating very beautiful and contrasting landscapes.
Most best time for walks in lavender fields - the second half of July, since it is at this time that almost all fields are in a state of maximum flowering. In early July, in some fields you can see only small unopened buds, and from August the harvesting begins. The fields after the passage of agricultural machinery do not look so impressive. Be sure to consider these facts when planning your travel time.
The best option to fully explore the lavender fields is a trip by car. So you can go around the largest areas of the province. You can rent a bike. The downside will be the much smaller space seen, but the pluses include the fact that on a bicycle you can visit places where it would be much more difficult to get to by car. And the most economical (one might even say free) way is to use your legs. Walking tour and good for health, and no harm to nature. But here is the main drawback - a significant decrease in the area of the examined neighborhoods.
A special place in Provence is occupied by the abbey monastery of Notre Dame de Senanque, founded in the 12th century (its coordinates are indicated just above). Here the monks grow lavender and collect honey. You can buy from them not only honey, but also soap and perfumes of your own production.
Many farms in the area offer their own lavender products. For a small fee, you can arrange a small tour of the farm with lectures on the topic ... of course, lavender.
It is worth paying attention to one interesting place called Lavender Museum in the town of Custelle. This is the lavender museum. Naturally, the entire exposition, one way or another, is connected with lavender, methods of its cultivation and methods for obtaining extracts and oils.
The beauty of the lavender fields inspire the inhabitants of Provence to hold numerous festivals. The largest festival takes place in the official capital of the lavender region, the town of So (Vaucluse district). The holiday begins on August 15 and is dedicated to the harvest of lavender. During the festival, competitions, colorful events and a fair are organized where you can buy everything that is made from lavender. This is honey, soap, perfume, essential oils, or just a bunch of dried lavender.
Lavender fields in photos
