The Plateau de Valensole is located in Provence, more precisely in the Alpes de Haute Provence (04).
It is perched at an altitude of 600 metres and covers 800 km² between the valleys of the
Durance
to the west, the Asse to the north Gorges du Verdon and the
Lac de Sainte-Croix
to the south.
The Plateau de Valensole lives mainly from agriculture, tourism and crafts. It is famous for its Lavandin/Lavender crops. 81,400 ha of the plateau are cultivated. Formerly in the
XIX
e
century, the plateau was cultivated mainly with almond trees and truffle oaks. This economy disappeared and was replaced by the cultivation of
Lavender/Lavandin
and cereals. The plateau is known as the “granary of the region”.
Lavender
is the dominant crop on the plateau. Although on the verge of extinction over the past 30 years due to foreign competition, the essential oil that used to be commonly called
essence of lavender
is used in the manufacture of cosmetics, soaps, detergents, etc., for its perfume and virtues.
It settled here because it’s closest to its original conditions. Lavandin is
Lavender
grow wild in the garrigues of the plateau.
Lavandin has also made a name for itself here because of the region’s very low annual rainfall and because the Plateau de Valensole is largely unirrigated, making it an ideal crop.
As with the rest of Provence, the sunshine on the Valensole Plateau is conducive to attracting summer tourists, who are more inclined to nature-based activities than tourists from the Mediterranean coast.
You’ll be dazzled by its immense lavender fields, the largest concentration in the world, and by the surrounding mountain ranges.
And let’s not forget the gates to the Gorges du Verdon, Europe’s largest canyon and a must-see once you’re there.
During your stay, feel free to visit us directly in the village of Valensole, where we’ll be happy to welcome you from May to September in our
our boutique
or during the lavender flowering season in June/July, directly in our fields at our little hut.
Our main activity is the growing of lavender and lavandin, a family history with us for four generations. For years we have been pioneers in organic farming and recognised for the high quality of our work.
It was during a family meal in 2015 that the idea of distributing our products directly came to us. Until then, we had been selling our produce to wholesalers or agricultural cooperatives.
So it was on this impetus that myself, Samuel (22) and my partner Emma (20) decided to devote ourselves to this crop full-time, leaving the production side to my father so that everyone had all the space they needed to best develop their part of the business.
Our main activity is the growing of lavender and lavandin, a family history with us for four generations. For years we have been pioneers in organic farming and recognised for the high quality of our work.
It was during a family meal in 2015 that the idea of distributing our products directly came to us. Until then, we had been selling our produce to wholesalers or agricultural cooperatives.
So it was on this impetus that myself, Samuel (22) and my partner Emma (20) decided to devote ourselves to this crop full-time, leaving the production side to my father so that everyone had all the space they needed to best develop their part of the business.
