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TOURISM

What to know when visiting France’s lavender fields this summer

Known affectionately as 'blue gold,' France’s lavender fields are a popular tourist attraction every year.

Published: 24 May 2022 12:29 CEST
Updated: 13 June 2023 14:24 CEST
What to know when visiting France's lavender fields this summer
A field of lavender in Grignan, southern France. Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP

Lavender is the “soul of Provence,” the area of southern France where the fields can be found.

Like wine, lavender was brought to France around 2,000 years ago by the Romans. The flower is the emblem of ‘Haute Provence’ regional identity, though the fields stretch from just outside Nice almost all the way up to Valence, and they are not fully exclusive to France.

Washerwomen, those whose job it was to clean clothes and linen, were historically referred to as les lavandières in France. 

The flowers, which can be found mainly in two species in Provence, have several uses – as oils for cooking and bathing, as a perfume for soaps, and even as an antiseptic for healing wounds and scars.

The lavender essential oil that comes from Provence is an AOP (L’Appellation d’origine protégée) which means that Provençal lanvender oil must be grown in the area under designated conditions.

When is the best time to see the fields?

Typically, the lavender flowers from around mid-June to early-to-mid August, with early flowering likely in hot and dry years.

Where should I go?

The Valensole plateau is perhaps the most famous place to go for lavender fields. Speckled with several small Provençal towns, the area is beautiful, with a mountainous backdrop in the distance. If you go here, you might also be able to see the sunflower fields too.

Sault is perhaps a bit less known, partially because due to its altitude, the lavender typically flowers a bit later.

It is still a great place to go see the fields, and every year the town hosts a Lavender Festival in August. Walking (or cycling) between the villages (Aurel, Saint-Trinit and Saint-Christol) is very manageable.

This is not too far from the Sénanque Abbey, a medieval 12th century abbey which is surrounded by lavender fields. You might notice some small stone houses called bories in the fields, which were historically used for field workers.

Luberon Valley is another location that comes highly recommended. In the area, there is a regional national park, home to rosé wines, castles (chateaux) and charming villages, like Gordes, a stunning hilltop village.

Here you can also find the Musée de la Lavande, if you are looking to learn more about harvesting, producing and distilling lavender, its industry, and some interesting regional history.

How to get there?

You can take a TGV train to Aix-en-Provence or Avignon, or rent a car. With a car, you can also enjoy the several scenic routes that allow you to see the fields from the roads.

What else is there to do while in the region?

The area is also known for its rosé wine, so you could take the opportunity to go visit some vineyards or spend some time wine-tasting. 

In the summer months, the south of France can get quite warm. If you are looking to go swimming or enjoy the water, the Gorges du Verdon are not too far away. Though a bit of a tourist hotspot, the canyon is a beautiful and a wonderful place for paddling along in a canoe.

If you’re a fan of hiking, you can always go for a (light) hike along the Ochre Trail near Roussillon. Here, there are two marked paths that will take you through sunset-colored red and yellow cliffs in an old quarry.

Words of Wisdom

Unless you have been given express permission, do not pick the lavender, as this is the farmer’s livelihood. You can always buy a bouquet from nearby souvenir shops for your photo shoots! 

Also, stick to the paths that exist to avoid trampling any crops, and of course do not litter in the fields. 

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TRAVEL NEWS

Designer of France’s high-speed TGV train dies

Jacques Cooper, designer of France's first ultra-fast TGV train that shattered world speed records when it came into service in 1981, has died aged 93, his former employer Alstom said on Wednesday.

Published: 17 April 2024 17:05 CEST
Designer of France's high-speed TGV train dies

The first generation of the Train à Grande Vitesse (high-speed train) reached a top speed of 380 kilometres per hour (236 mph), cutting the journey time between Paris other French cities to just a few hours, as opposed to the full-day, or even overnight, trip required previously.

TGV: 9 things you might not know about France’s high-speed trains

Hailed as a prime example of French engineering and industrial prowess, TGV technology has been exported to several other countries including South Korea, Spain, the United States and Italy.

Jacques Cooper said his train design was inspired by the nose of the Porsche 914-6 limited-edition sports car model that he had designed for the German manufacturer a decade earlier.

The Porsche was orange, which also became the trademark colour of the new fast trains.

“He will have impacted rail forever,” Henri Poupart-Lafarge, CEO of Alstom, said of Cooper, who worked at the firm in the 1970s and 1980s.

“Especially by designing the distinctive nose of the orange TGV that opened the way to high-speed travel in France.”

Cooper, who designed tractors and helicopters before turning to trains, also helped design trains for the Santiago de Chile and Cairo Metros.

France’s national rail operator SNCF is to take delivery of a new generation of fast trains, called TGV-M, by the end of next year, the exterior design of which remains close to Cooper’s original blueprint.

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