Lavender field. Lavender bloom in France. The best lavender places in France

Provence is one of the most popular and wonderful places in France, not least due to the fact that this is where the charming lavender fields are located. It is almost impossible to see something similar in other places and in other countries. If you come to Provence in the summer, if you go to France at all in the summer, then you should definitely see the lavender fields. You will remember this sight for the rest of your life. The space to the horizon, all immersed in purple, lilac, smoky light - this is simply impossible to forget. Plus the aroma, which also fills the whole neighborhood. If you have seen a lavender field during the day, then you still have the opportunity to get an extraordinary experience when you want to look at it at dawn, at sunset. Each time of the day gives lavender its own unique charm, so it's worth spending a few days contemplating this beauty, only then you can say that you really saw lavender.

When lavender blooms

Lavender blooms in summer, but in different areas of the country it blooms in different months. And this is good, because whenever you come in any summer month you will have the opportunity to enjoy this amazing spectacle.

The flowering time of lavender depends mainly on three conditions.

• region of the country. In the southern regions, lavender blooms at one time, in the northern regions at another.
• height above sea level. Lavender is an alpine plant, most varieties of lavender grow on plateaus. But some varieties grow higher, some lower. You can see lavender plantations at different heights, and at the same time take a walk along the mountain serpentine. Usually lavender and serpentine are simply inseparable from each other, because the plateaus are located on high altitude. And this adds to the charm of such lavender fields and allows you to make a trip to see them a real adventure.
• a type of lavender. Some varieties bloom earlier, some later, much like apple trees and other fruit trees.

All this together determines when the lavender begins to bloom. If you are going get a visa to france and come here in order to see the lavender fields, then follow the Internet in which parts of the country the flowering began and in which it ended. So you will always be sure that you will see wonderful lavender fields in all their splendor.

How does lavender grow

Lavender grows in the fields. That is, it does not grow by itself, it is grown on purpose. For this reason, it usually grows in even rows. In France, they love order, and a lavender field is several rows of lavender that extend as far as the terrain allows. Far from everywhere, lavender plantations extend to the limits of visibility. As already mentioned, it grows in highlands and on plateaus, which are rarely long and even throughout. Often, lavender plantings are bizarrely shaped to fit into the relief of local mountains. It is all the more interesting to consider them, combining the search for lavender fields with a journey through the mountain ranges.

Lavender fields are more or less well maintained, depending on the diligence of the farmer who grows this crop, and on the technologies he uses. If the farmer responsibly approaches the matter, then the lavender bushes are watered, there is free space between them and there are no weeds. If less responsibly, then the lavender harvest depends on the weather, on the presence of sun and rain, and weeds, such as wild poppies, can sprout between lavender bushes. But in general, this does not spoil the picture at all. What is the only smell that accompanies the flowering of lavender! For the sake of this smell, many are already ready to come to be near this miracle.

The best lavender places in France

As you know, Provence is traditionally considered the center of all lovers of lavender in France. Indeed, there are most of all both farmers who grow this plant and tourists who come to see it.

But there are at least a few centers in France where many tourists come every year for the sole purpose of seeing how this plant blooms.

• Valensole is one of the most famous lavender fields. Here lavender blooms in early July - early August. This is an average region in terms of flowering time. It even celebrates lavender day as a special holiday, and it is celebrated on the third Sunday of July. In most cases, at this time, lavender is just all in bloom and pleases local residents, and those who specially came to this area or even decided to come to live in France from another state.
• Mount Ventoux is also a famous center for all lavender lovers. Here the lavender bloom is later: the end of July - the end of August. The Lavender Festival is celebrated on July 15th.
• The Luberon is one of the most beautiful regions of France in principle. It is here that villages and small towns are located, which seem to have descended from the canvases of medieval painters. A great place for those who love nature and the absence of pronounced traces of human civilization. And, of course, lavender. Here it blooms in July.
• The Drome is where lavender blooms early. The term of its flowering here is shifted to June-July. If you are in France at the beginning of summer, then this the best place where you can go. Here, lavender plantations are especially well-groomed, which pleases both those who come to France for the time of flowering, and those who have already decided

Thus, you can always choose one of the listed places if you come to France, and in any month of the summer you will have the opportunity to choose the right direction and go to admire the lavender. Be sure to bring your family and children, or a loved one - no more romantic place in the light than lavender fields. And if you have already been there, you will definitely agree with this. Many couples come to France at this time to see the lavender fields and indulge in romance, and then maybe even get married in France which is also very popular.

Why is lavender grown in France?

It is worth noting that the cultivation of lavender is carried out, of course, not only for tourists who come to see how beautiful it blooms. Lavender is grown for various purposes, it is widely used, for example, in medicine, in perfumery. Another interesting property of lavender is that bees make delicious lavender honey from it, which is also in great demand. In other words, this plant is capable of giving a lot, so it is not surprising that it is grown all over France.

France is one of the few countries supplying lavender. Simply because this plant is special in many ways. For example, it grows only in mountainous areas, and not every country has mountains. At the same time, lavender loves a mild climate, and the climate of France in this sense is very suitable. So it is in France that lavender is grown for export all over the world, and this explains why lavender is grown here in such quantities.

After the harvest of lavender is harvested, it is taken to a processing plant to get from it, first of all, lavender oil, which is used in many areas of human life. The production of various products from lavender is a topic for a separate discussion. Suffice it to say that in so many medicines such oil is present, it is also an aromatic oil, which is loved by many. The aroma of lavender repels moths, disinfects the air, in all respects this is a very useful plant. If you decide to come to France at the moment when the lavender is in bloom, then be sure to look at it, and you will definitely not regret it.

How to view lavender fields

It would seem that it could be easier. But even here there are a few rules that are better to follow. This is necessary so that everything goes smoothly for you and you do not violate any laws.

Firstly, lavender fields, as already mentioned, are grown not for beauty, but for sale. So it's all the private property of this or that farmer. Therefore, you should not enter the lavender fields, do not walk between the rows without the permission of the owner or his representative, this can lead to a conflict with the law and damage to the plantings. Usually, there is always a public road along the fields, and it is worth moving along it. Moreover, you should not tear lavender without permission.

Secondly, honey is made from lavender. It is made by bees that circle over the thickets of lavender in large numbers. So, you need to think about what you can sting. Be sure to bring bee sting and allergy medication with you. If you are allergic to bee stings, treat an event like visiting lavender fields with tenfold caution. When you try to touch or pick a lavender plant, there is a high chance that you will not notice the bee and it will sting you.

By the way, lavender smells very strong, and when it blooms, especially on such a scale, it can also cause a strong allergic reaction in predisposed people. If you are allergic, you may be better off looking for other recreational and entertainment options - for example, rent a villa on the Cote d'Azur and lie on the sand, which will definitely not cause allergies in you.

Finally, often lavender grows in the mountains, and you have to drive along a serpentine road to get to it. Be sure to exercise caution if you have to move in mountainous areas. It is best to overcome the most critical areas during the day, not at night, and not exaggerate your ability to climb and to move by car or bicycle along steep descents and ascents. This will also allow you to get only pleasure from the lavender fields without unpleasant incidents.

If you come to admire the lavender, then do not forget to take your camera and video camera with you. In most cases, you will be able to shoot for free, as lavender is, as already mentioned, a cultivated plant that is grown for sale and is not an attraction. If someone is trying to get money from you for the right to photograph lavender, then they are most likely scammers. The fields stretch for many kilometers, so find a place where no one will disturb you and take as many pictures as you like. These will be some of the best photographs in your life, because such a spectacle is even difficult to compare with something, it is so original and beautiful.

In many photo shoots on the Internet, you can see people lying with their arms and legs spread out in a lavender field, or running through the lavender into the distance. Most likely, these are photos in agreement with the owner of the field, do not try to do the same if you have not received his permission. Imagine how you would feel if this was your field, and strangers would run around it and crush your lavender, in which you have invested your energy and money. France has a flexible system of fines, so it's better not to risk it. Also, if you want to sit or lie down in a lavender field, always remember the bees.

How to come to France to admire lavender

If you have a desire to come to France to admire the lavender to your heart's content, then technically it is not at all difficult to implement.

To get started, you need get a visa to France. Not necessary in this case. receive a visa D Visitor for a long stay in France, in most cases it is quite possible to get by with a short-term visa. Within three months, you will have enough time to come to France, admire the lavender to your heart's content and come back. If you plan to stay, then you need to get a long-term visa.

Further - open a bank account in France. You will need this account to withdraw money from it for the entire time that you will live in France. And also - you simply will not be allowed into the country if you do not open an account. Appeal to specialists in Cofrance will allow you to spend much less time and nerves on such formalities as opening a bank account - and rush forward to the lavender fields that await you!

Don't forget to get medical insurance policy in France. Medical assistance may be required at any time, not only if you are stung by a bee, there are more serious situations. If you decide to take out an insurance policy in France in advance, then this will give you the opportunity to worry about nothing and know that medical care you will always get it for free.

Having done all this, you will already be able to easily or even just for the duration of the flowering of lavender fields. And do not doubt that lavender will become vivid impression in your life!

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 in a clear certain 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.

In the middle of summer, lavender blooms in northern Provence. Lavender fields - the visiting card of Provence - are not inferior in popularity Cote d'Azur. Postcard views of the fields, covered with purple rows of fragrant lavender, attract many tourists to Haute-Provence. Lavender has been cultivated in this region for nearly 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 the beginning of 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 the fields that bloom from the end of June to July 15 are marked in light purple, those that bloom from the beginning to July 25 in blue, and the fields that bloom from the beginning of July until July 25 are marked in dark purple. 10th of August.

Orange marked big cities region - Cannes, Avignon, Arles, Valence. In each of the cities, we advise you to visit the tourist office (Office de tourisme) and take there detailed map lavender fields, which is updated 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 of the fields do not go to trains or buses. And by car, you can make 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. A day with a manual transmission will cost from 1,700 rubles.

Public transport. By train, you can travel from Paris or Marseille to Avignon, from where tour companies organize day trips by bus through the lavender fields. There is also a train from Avignon to Carpentras, where you can take the bus Carpentras - Sault, which goes through the lavender fields to the ancient city of Sault.

Bicycle routes lavender fields are becoming more and more popular, but they are only suitable for people with good physical fitness, because Provence is 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 de Haute-Provence, Vaucluse and Hautes-Alpes.. Many cities have tourist associations offering hiking and cycling. All information about six Lavender roads (Routes de la lavande) available in English on the website of the association MoveYourAlps (offline and online maps, information about holidays, attractions, hotels and campsites).

Major areas of lavender bloom

- The plains and perfume factories of the Vercors, Diois and Drôme Provençal districts (Vercors, Diois, Drôme Provençal) where lavender blooms from late June to late July. Drive from Crest to Baronnies, through fields near Die and Rosans, where the road goes over low mountains, past plateaus with lavender fields. Drome Provence is famous not only for lavender, but also for the medieval villages of Dieulefit, Grignon, Valréas.

- Hills and mountains in the area 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, Nyon, Buis-le-Baronnie, Orpierre, Rosans (Vaison-la-Romaine, Nyons, Buis-les-Baronnies, Orpierre, Rosans).

- Mountains, ocher canyon and medieval castle in the area of ​​Ventoux, Lure and Luberon (Ventoux, Lure, Luberon). The towns of Gordes and Apt are surrounded by fields selling lavender honey, and the huge ocher canyon Rustrel is called the Colorado of Provence because of its Martian landscapes. We advise you to visit there at dawn or at sunset, when the walls of the canyon are shining in all shades of red. Near the canyon is the medieval castle of Mane (chateau Mane), and at the foot of the white mountains Lure (Lure) grows the most fragrant mountain lavender.

- descent from the mountains to the Cote d'Azur in the area of ​​Grasse and Valensole (Grasse et Valensole). Descend from the vast lavender plateau of Valensole through the 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

Pro Valensole plateau, which lies in the foothills of the Alps and looks like an endless sea of ​​\u200b\u200blavender, it is worth telling separately. There are more than ten lavender fields on the plateau. You can see everything by driving on a circular route of 33 kilometers: Valensole D56 east to Puimoisson - along D953 north to the interchange "Poteau de Telle" - D8 back west to Valensole.

Near the plateau of Valensole there is the 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 in France. We recommend visiting the Grand Canyon du Verdon, a gigantic limestone gorge 700 meters deep with breathtaking views.

Holidays and lavender 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. Here they sell all kinds of products from (or with the addition of) lavender, as well as the best dried fruits and candied fruits of France. Festive processions, accompanied by hundreds of musicians and dancers, pass through the city. In addition to lavender, Digne-les-Bains is known 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 collection ends in Provence. Artisans and perfumers come to So, master classes in the manufacture of perfumes and cosmetics are held here, gastronomic specialties are sold, musicians play old Provencal melodies, and a book fair is held nearby.

We are often asked where in France you can see lavender in bloom? If you are also interested in this question, then this article is for you;)

The vast lavender fields under the blue Provencal sky are not a fairy tale for tourists at all, but a reality that you can see with your own eyes if you come to Provence in the summer. Although lavender blooms in every garden and every flower bed in Provence, to see real fields you have to drive inland, following one of the many Lavender Roads - tourist routes, drawn among fields, lavender farms and villages, from time immemorial lived by lavender and everything that is produced from this generous plant.

Lavender is grown mainly in the north of Provence: in Drôme Provencale, Haute Vaucluse and Alps of Haute Provence(Alpes de Haute Provence), where you will find the largest lavender fields.

In Vaucluse: the largest lavender fields are cultivated in the valley of the city of Co (Pays de Sault). You can start by walking through the town of Co, the capital of lavender, and heading north towards Mount Ventoux (the paths for walking are marked with signs of different colors, according to the complexity of the landscape). You can drive to one of the villages surrounding Sault (Aurel, Monieux, Saint Trinit, Saint Cristol) or explore the road from Sault to Apt, stopping by the village of Savouillon along the way. In these places, finding lavender fields is not difficult - it is worth going beyond the boundaries of settlements. Visit one of the lavender oil distillation workshops.

Lavender bloom time: June-July. The lavender festival takes place in So in the first half of August.

IN Drome Provence: you will find lavender fields everywhere, they alternate with vineyards, fields of wheat and sunflowers. Choose the direction you like: in the southwest, lavender fields surround Nyon (Nyon), in the northeast around Laborel (Laborel), in the very south, beautiful fields around Ferrassières, or at the very foot of Alps around Egale(Eygalayes).

IN Alps of Haute Provence: there is a place claiming the title of the main producer of lavender in Provence - the Plateau de Valensole. Arrive at Valensole, in the heart of the largest lavender field in France, and head towards Digne les Bains, stopping at Riez, Puymoisson or Mesel(Riez, Puimoisson and Mezel). From Mesel drive southeast towards Castellane - you won't miss the lavender fields anyway.

You will find lavender fields in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence around Forcalquier, in the department of Vaucluse, in the southwest around the village of Coustellet, where the lavender museum is open, and on the Plateau des Claparèdes.

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.