The Lavender Fields in Provence, France: The No. 1 Best Touring Spot to Adorn Yourself with the Prettiest Memories

Are you aware of a place to rest at the bosom of nature away from the busy shores, with warm sunshine on your face with buzzing bees and mesmerizing horizons stretching with acres of flowerbeds?

Wow! You have guessed it right. It’s the Lavender Fields in Provence, France, that offers you such a serene place out of the concrete jungles.

So, today’s stop will be to explore this area’s vast expanse and how it can become your favourite tourist spot to take some lovely memories back home!

Keep reading to transport yourself through your senses to experience the place first-hand!

But before that, here’s a piece of warning! Once the blooming happens, these fields can be worth visiting in the following few weeks, depending on the area. So be careful to get the ticket slot when the place is decked in its glory!

Getting Started: Lavender Fields Provence Best Time to Visit

It is a trustworthy saying that nature is always unpredictable, which is perfectly applicable if you plan to take a trip, especially to this place. You must have organized planning, travel, and reach precisely in- season to see the lavender beds in full bloom because this place doesn’t offer a year around event. 

Simultaneously, you can see it bloom at parts of the Provence and not all over the place in one single go. So, here are some insider travel tips for you;

• The best place to experience the ultimate beauty of the lavender field is to land there in early to mid-June until August ends.
• But you must also know that August is a vacation month throughout France, and the lavender fields is usually crowded around that time. So, if you want to relish the flower beds alone, reach a month before to get the best out of your trip.
• If you opt for a road trip to the spot during the lavender season in Provence, have a 3-day detailed plan where if you have the time and budget, you can stroll through other places along the way or stay in one of the romantic country hotels.

However, you must also note that lavender season isn’t just meant for soothing or pleasurable sightseeing; it also means business.  

Taking the Trip: How to Visit Lavender Fields Provence

The most important thing to note while reaching the lavender fields is that taking a road trip all by yourself might not be a great idea as you might have to 

1. Twist and turn through narrow roads, 
2. Avoid ditches, 
3. Drive through fields, wayside cottages and farms, 
4. Miss getting some stunning panoramic views of the landscape.

   

In reality, the road to the lavender fields is small winding roads where you have to navigate through villages to get to the best place of the fields. 

So, the best to do is to opt for a service to pick you up from the Provence or the international airport. It’s a bit expensive but worth every penny if you could just hire them for a day because you can ask to stop at a hotel or anywhere in the middle of your journey and start when you are ready. 

Unfortunately, there is no alternate public transportation to the place. Even the villages are at a great distance apart from each other which makes walking a useless option. Ultimately car is the MUST choice if you wish to reach your desired place in the fields. 

On the other hand, if you wish to reach there through organized tours, the options are limited. However, they are suited if you don’t want to bring your car.

And these tours operate from big cities like Aix-en Provence, Avignon, or Nice, and you have to stay in one of these places to gain the organized tour option. 

Best Places to Book a Room to Rest in the Provence

Lavender fields are located all over Provence, and if you’re a first-time visitor, make sure to head straight to Valensole to be a part of the best and most beautiful lavender fields. Also, book a staying place there that’s worth your trip. Following Valensole is Manosque and Riez, the other best options to stay.

A vital piece of information you must note is that the lavender season is virally popular in France, and it must be atop your bucket list to book the tickets at least six months in advance! So, here’s a brief about these places for you to pick the best place to stay of your choice;

1. Valensole

   

This is the best place to find top-quality lavender beds. However, it’s not a highly recommended place to stay as it’s a small town and the accommodation, dining and shopping options are very limited here. 

The only plus is that it is the quickest place to reach the lavender fields by car. Check out the accommodations list of Valensole here!

2. Manosque

   

Now comes the best place to stay to visit the lavender fields. It is a noteworthy town in the area where you get a variety of accommodation choices for different budget ranges, wonderful restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets. 

Also, you can wander around the cobbled streets of this old town for half a day! But the only drawback is that it’s a bit farther from the fields. However, this place is closer to Provence, like Roussillon on Gordes, than Valensole, for you to have more fun. Here’s the accommodation list at Manosque.

3. Riez

   

Riez shares similar traits to Valensole. However, you might not need to take time to drive to the lavender fields, as the road between Riez and Valensole has lavender beds. Click here to know the accommodation opportunities at Riez.

The Different Lavender Types You Can See Throughout the Provence

Around the world, the different lavender types you might come across are; 

• Fine lavender, 
• Spike lavender
• Lavandine

In France, fine lavender and lavandine are Provence’s most popularly cultivated varieties.

1. About Fine lavender

   

Fine lavender is the primary variety found throughout Provence, unavailable in any part of the globe! It grows at an 800-meter altitude and is a tiny plant with one flower per stem. 

Interestingly, this has been a traditional composition into medicines for its high medicinal properties and was called the ‘blue gold’ of the region. Most renowned perfume makers use this lavender variety for their expensive perfumes. 

Pro facts: Did you know? 130 kg of Fine lavender goes into producing just 1 litre of essential oil through distilling! So, 1 Ha fine lavender plantation can yield nearly 25 litres of essential oil. Sounds astonishing, right, and that’s why it’s so special.

2. About Lavendine

   

Botanically known as the Lavandula hybrida, the Lavandine is a standard variety found worldwide between 0 and 80 m altitude. It’s a tall plant that grows in large round clumps and has two ramifications. 

In the Latin tongue, it’s a hybrid plant that originated crossing fine and spike lavender that is of little use in France. However, the traits of this plant are that it is more highly pungent than fine lavender, less subtle and remains unused for medicinal purposes. So, they are not precious for lavender producers. 

Pro facts: Did you know? 40 kg of lavandine produces 1 litre of Lavandine essential oil. They are highly included in cleaning products and are used as tourist souvenirs. 

To-Do- Rules at the Lavender Fields of Provence

 Visiting the purple blanket of lavender beds can surely amplify you to enjoy the beauty of nature. However, as a responsible traveller, you must note that it’s the livelihood of the local farmers to thrive for a short season. So, you must follow some guidelines to have quality time in the fields!

• Gain permission from the local farmers to enter the fields as these places are active in the business. If your request is turned down or signs do not permit access, please acknowledge them and pass them on. 
• Tempting as it could be to pluck a few blossoms, you must ensure not to harm the plantation in any way as you are PROHIBITED to do so. The lavender business contributes largely to Provence’s economy, and your part is to protect it. So, keep this in mind and keep moving to the less crowded place that gives you entry. 
• A word of caution is to keep your eyes open to swarms of bees that are in love with lavenders. They buzz around to pollinate the flowers. Have a handy repellant to avoid getting stung without knowledge. 
• If you are bringing a drone with you to get a stunning bird’s view of the lavender fields, keep them at a higher altitude as they are not bee-friendly. They might hurt or kill the bees when they are near the blossoms. 

With that, you’re all set to go to take a trip to the Provence lavender fields on your next vacation. But with so many fields out there, how do you pick the best places? 

Well, scroll down to dip your senses into the purple places you must not avoid navigating your car to!

The Ultimate Wayfaring Guide to the Best Lavender Fields That’s Worth Visiting 

1. Breath-Taking Plateau de Valensole Lavender Fields

   

You can call this place the abode for the lavender fields, as you can find them in rows beyond the horizon with a stunning range of mountains as the backdrop. Different Valensole lavender sizes are available here, making it a huge hit among tourists, along with sunflower and wheat fields beside it to catch every eye. So don’t forget to stop by!

2. Original Blossoms at the Pays de Sault lavender Fields

   

Known as the capital field of fine lavender Pays de Sault is the only crowd less place to be a part of the authentic Provençal lavender. To get some best beautiful images start your road day trip from Avignon. And don’t miss watching the picturesque villages surrounding Mont Ventoux too!

3. Highly Boasted Luberon Lavender Fields

   

Considered as the city’s best lavender fields in the Luberon Valley, these pretty Lavadines are mostly cuties to anyone who passes by. Massif du Luberon, near Avignon, is where you can spot these mesmerizing purple rows perfectly. They sit glistening at 350-700 m altitude, where the surrounding Sénanque Abbey adds some spectacular views to the field. 

4. The Beloved Lavandes Angelevin

   

This is an awesome place where you get to see heart-shaped trees amidst the purple beds. Hence, it’s a place where photoholics are always present. Interestingly, the landers here are arrayed on the hills to amplify the beauty in the eyes of the beholder!

Apart from this list, you can add many other places, like the Drôme Provençale, Abbey of Senanque, Lavender Museum Colustellet, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and much more which is up to you to visit!

How to Capture Some Best Shots at the Lavender Fields in Provence

If you’re an owner of a professional camera, you’re going to capture some lovely memories that will stay fresh forever!

But that’s possible even if you have a phone at hand nowadays. Just be the photographer yourself and keep clicking everything you see!

Mind- Blowing Secret Facts about the Provence Lavender Fields You Must Know

Do you know?

• The lavender field was a female occupation at the earlier times. Men worked at the fields while the women harvested them and sold them to middlemen or distilleries.
• It was only by the 20th century that the lavender field in Provence had gained popularity for its capacity to be the main ingredient in perfume making. They were in top priority for top notch perfume makers such as Grasse.
• Lavenders can live up to seven years with proper gardening, pruning and moisture especially around the root balls during the growing season. They grow best in arid climates as they are sun- lovers. 
• Provence’s lavender is best suited for flavoring shortbread, making lemonade or tea.  
• Lavender is the best antidote for digestive problems, treating throat aches, muscular pains and aches and the skin. You won’t believe that it’s an insect repellent too!

What’s New at the Lavender Fields in 2023?

Apart from gazing and photo shooting in the lavender fields you can take a trip to the renowned Lavender Festival held every year in Provence by the farmers of the village. You can see huge crowds gathering here for the various events happening at the place where you can learn the importance and benefits of lavender.

And what can excite you is that there are tons of local made lavender products around every corner to take back home!

Here are the names of the Provence and the dates the festivals happen;

1. Valensole: 16 / 07 / 2023
2. Digne-les-Bains Lavender Parade: 04-08 / 08 / 2023
3. Sault: 15 / 08 / 2023
4. Ferrassières: July’s first Sunday
5. Apt: First/ Second Sunday in July
6. Valreas (Drome) Lavender Parade: August’s First weekend 
7. Saint-Geniez: Mid-August

Over to You Now

Now wasn’t that a tour in itself going into the magical and intoxicating lavender fields? Well, think how it would be if you were actually there at the place!

So why don’t you quench your wanderlust to take the next trip there?

The Most Sought- After FAQs by Tourists are Available Here

• What month is best for seeing the lavender fields in Provence?

Mid- June and July are the groundbreaking months to catch a picturesque view of the lavenders in full- bloom though the flowering season usually is between mid-June and August. However, you must also keep the climate changes alongside as they tend to bloom sooner in warm and sunnier regions and delays near the Alpine Valleys.

• How to get from Paris to Provence Lavender Fields?

Take the TGV train from Paris to the lavender fields. But you must also note that it’s going to be a long ride, up to 7.5 hours. Click here to get the big picture.

• What to wear for a photoshoot at the lavender fields?

Well, you can never miss capturing the cutest picture wearing a soft and muted palette. Try colors like creams, whites, blues and soft grays. But you also can’t say no to blue denim and navy blues too! However, even brighter colors are a perfect match to the purple backdrop. For more information, click here.

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