Photo: Jenna Post (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Nature · France
The lavender route of Provence
A day between Sénanque Abbey and the Valensole plateau when the fields turn purple. Only from late June to mid-July.
Provence · France
The experience
Lavender is the emblem of Provence, and its season is short: it usually starts in late June, peaks in early July and is mostly harvested by mid-July. We build this experience precisely around those dates.
The day begins early at Sénanque Abbey, the Cistercian abbey founded in 1148 in a small valley about 4 kilometres from Gordes, with the lavender field in front of it that everyone who has seen a picture of Provence will know. Monks still live there, so the grounds are visited quietly and in modest dress.
The driver then heads east to the Valensole plateau, about an hour and a quarter away, where lavender stretches to the horizon between wheat fields and almond trees. In the village of Valensole, shops sell lavender oil, soap and local honey.
Go early in the morning or before sunset, when the light is softer and the heat lighter. Please do not pick the flowers: the fields belong to the farmers.
France
More to do
Culture and heritage
Versailles with a private guide
A day at the palace of the kings of France and its gardens, without the entry queues. A guide tells the story from the Hall of Mirrors to Marie Antoinette's estate.
Discover
Culture and heritage
The Louvre with a private guide
The world's largest museum in three well-chosen hours. The Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Islamic art galleries on one route.
Read more
City and shopping
A sunset cruise on the Seine
Paris from the water in an hour: the Eiffel Tower, the Musée d'Orsay and Notre-Dame. A private boat can be arranged for the family.
Read more