Lavender in bloom: Provence's purple gold is back!

Several growers cultivate lavender around Sainte-Victoire, and offer guided tours of their farms.

Located in the Puyricard district of Aix-en-Provence, just a 30-minute drive from Marseille, the Terre Ugo estate boasts over 30,000 lavender plants on 7 hectares. The Maison de la Lavande is open to the public every day of the week from June to August, and a tour of the lavender fields costs just €7 .

In Vauvenargues, north of Sainte-Victoire, the Distillerie Sainte-Victoire operates a 30-hectare estate, producing essential oils, floral waters, cosmetics and pochons from the famous mauve flower. The distillery, located in the private grounds of the Château de Vauvenargues, is not open to the public. However, the lavender fields in bloom are easily accessible on a hike around the village, which can be reached by car in around 40 minutes from Marseille.

Lavender blooms earlier around Aix-en-Provence, and June is the ideal time to admire the most beautiful shades of mauve!

Between the Durance valley and Lake Sainte-Croix, the Valensole plateau offers perfect conditions for lavender cultivation, with plenty of sunshine and ideal temperatures. The fields here stretch as far as the eye can see, and photography enthusiasts have a field day. The Provence so dear to Jean Giono takes on its full meaning here, between authenticity and generosity.

Between mid-June and mid-July, a veritable sea of mauve unfurls its perfumes across the Valensole plateau. You can discover the lavender fields by taking a stroll along the back roads, or join a guided tour that will reveal all the secrets of lavandin and lavender. A number of excursions departing from Marseille reveal the most beautiful fields and take you to meet the local producers.

Made up of picturesque villages nestled in valleys or perched on hillsides, the Pays de Sault enchant visitors at the foot of Mont Ventoux. The lavender blossom here reaches its peak during the first two weeks of July, with an explosion of colors and scents. Numerous hiking trails thread their way through a landscape of mauves, greens and blues, allowing you to get as close as possible to the many fields cultivated by passionate growers.

You can round off your Pays de Sault getaway with a visit to a distillery that extracts essential oil from the flower. Day trips from Marseille take you to the most photogenic lavender fields and secret spots in this exceptional region, with the Géant de Provence as a backdrop.

The spectacle offered by the lavender in bloom is the fruit of the know-how of the farmers who have passed this expertise on from generation to generation. We ask you to respect their work, by not picking up sprigs or trampling the plots to take your photos. We thank them for their efforts!