"Here lavender makes the earth and the sky balmy, reflecting sunlight and shadow." - Jean Giono.

Lavender is a common plant. Its colours, its fragrance and its properties confer on it the status of a cultural symbol. The history of lavender in the last century is a rich heritage which remains to be fully explored.

Les routes de la lavande (the lavender roads) organised by tourist, agricultural and cultural bodies, have organised a discovery trail through the lavender producing areas. Outstanding landscapes open up in a succession of stages; lavender is ever-present, varying in intensity from area to area: allied with cereal production on the plateaux, with vineyards in the plains and with olive and fruit trees on terraces. This is an invitation to travel the lavender country, a common thread in the discovery of these landscapes which exude the same fragrance and light but remain richly diversified.

Created in 1996 to support commercial lavender growing through a coherent tourism programme, with the emphasis on quality, the 'Routes de la lavande' association has now handed over the baton to the 'Grande Traversée des Alpes'. The task given to the GTA and its partners is to use 'itinerant tourism' to further develop tourism, at a time when numbers and practices have to become more sustainable.

In taking the lavender road, you will witness a tradition which, over the last century, has given the landscape its present complexion, has evolved in time with human ingenuity and is today allied to serious scientific research. You will appreciate the importance of this essence now you have iscovered it.

Did you know?

There are several different types of lavender which all belong to the Lamiaceae family. When out in the countryside altitude can be used as a rough guide in distinguishing lavender from lavendin: below 600 m you will mainly see lavendin whilst over 800 m lavender dominates.

Massaging the scalp with essential lavender oil (a few drops in the rinse) brings out the cleansing properties of lavender, encouraging hair growth and banishing lice !ux!

More Info

"Les Routes de la Lavande":
La Grande Traversée des Alpes
Tel. +33 4 76 42 08 31
www.routes-lavande.com

Lavendar Farms to visit:

In all the welcome points in farms and distilleries open to the public, the lavender growers will explain to you their work with passion.

Ferme de la Niègle - à Montbrun-les-Bains
Myriam et Michel Quenin - Tél. +33 4 75 28 84 16
Plantes médicinales et aromatiques.

Julien Sarlin à Laborel - Col de Perty.
Tél. +33 4 92 66 28 83
Bouquets extra-bleu.

Château de la Gabelle à Ferrassières
Marguerite Blanc - Tél. +33 4 75 28 80 54
Fleurs de lavande, compositions florales, miel.
www.chateau-la-gabelle.com

Ferme de la Louine à Barnave
Claire Montésinos - Tél. +33 4 75 21 84 43
Plantes sauvages cultivées en agrobiologie, distillerie.

Ferme de Baume Rousse - à Cobonne
Marion Haas & Stéphane Cozon. Tél. +33 4 75 25 08 68
Production de lavande en biodynamie.
www.lafermedebaumerousse.net

Noël Egligeaud à Villeperdrix - Hameau de Léoux.
Tél. +33 4 75 27 40 22
Lavande bleue, compositions, huiles essentielles.

Bénédicte Delpit - à Bézaudin S/ Bine - Ferme des Collins.
Tél. +33 4 75 53 37 12
Lavande et plantes médicinales en agriculture biologique.


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