Getaway in Haute-Provence
Lavender on the Valensole plateau
On the Valensole plateau, blue sheets of lavender spreads across a wide farming landscape. Its blue drifts follow the gentle relief of this open landscape, crisscrossed by roads leading toward the Verdon.
An open landscape near the Verdon gorges
The Valensole plateau stretches across Haute-Provence, between the Durance valley, the country around Riez and the first roads descending towards the Verdon. The landscape opens wide, with straight or gently rolling roads, isolated farms, cereal fields, almond trees and long perspectives under clear light.
The lavender fields take on a different scale from those in narrower valleys. They follow the relief of the plateau, occupy gentle slopes, disappear behind a line of fields, then return around a bend in the road. Valensole is discovered by moving across the plateau, in a landscape where the horizon matters as much as the colour.
Lavender shapes the landscape
The fields of Valensole owe their pictorial strength to their regularity. The alignments draw the ground, underline the undulations and give the plateau a very readable geometry. Depending on the parcels, the varieties and the time of day, the tones change: dense violet, paler blue, grey or mauve reflections in the heat.
Here, lavender and lavandin are tied to agricultural work. Farms, distilleries, early-summer cutting and the bales that appear after harvest all remind visitors that this landscape follows the rhythm of the land. The bloom attracts the eyes for a few weeks, but it belongs to a full year of preparation, pruning, growth and harvest.
Roads from Manosque, Moustiers and Riez
The beauty of the plateau reveals itself along its roads. From Manosque, Moustiers and Riez, you move slowly, often wanting to stop along the roadside while respecting crops and farm access. The landscape is best understood at this pace, punctuated by a distant farm, a blond wheat field, a line of almond trees and a sheet of lavender filling the foreground.
There is no need to look for a single viewpoint. The strongest images often come from a succession of small appearances: a field around a bend, a line of cypress trees, a parcel already cut, a perspective towards the mountains of the Verdon. The plateau is understood through movement more than through one stop.
Morning and evening in a brief season
The lavender bloom on the Valensole plateau is usually concentrated between late June and early July, with variations depending on the weather. Some years move quickly; others leave a little more time. The truest colour never lasts long.
Morning and late afternoon give the plateau its finest hours. Low light brings out the relief and the nuances, the heat has not yet settled in and the roads are quieter. In the middle of the day, the sun flattens the colours more, and the most accessible fields attract more visitors.
Continue towards Sainte-Croix, Moustiers or the Verdon
The Valensole plateau fits naturally into a stay in Haute-Provence. From the lavender roads, it is easy to reach Riez, Allemagne-en-Provence, Lake Sainte-Croix, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie or the first approaches to the Verdon gorges.
This position gives a stay nearby its full interest: come early to the plateau, follow the roads during the bloom, then continue the day towards Sainte-Croix-sur-Verdon, the waters of the lake, the villages of Haute-Provence or the Verdon gorges. The landscape changes register, but keeps the same luminous intensity.
Our selection
Guest houses around Valensole and the Verdon to extend the getaway
The portal favours direct links to owners' websites. You can compare settings, locations and services, then contact the guest house that best suits your stay between Haute-Provence, the Valensole plateau and the Verdon.