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What a treat in July to discover the vibrant lavender and sunflower fields in the area known as the Haut (or High) Diois, in the mountains to the south of Die. The lavender blooms from the beginning of July through to the middle of August and is a delight to the senses.
Here is a suggestion for an outing, by car and on foot, into the heart of the Diois lavender country.








   

The starting point is Valdrôme, where you can leave your car for a walk up to the village of Près (the trail is marked with yellow triangles and the number 70).
From there, following a combination of road and path to the tiny hamlet of Chouet, you will pass through the most important lavender growing area of the Diois.
Just before reaching Chouet, there is a distillery where lavender oil is produced during the late-season harvest. This lavender oil is a vital ingredient in many of the famous perfumes produced in Grasse.
The walk takes around three hours on sometimes uneven trails and involves a total climb of 440 meters.
Lavender in the Diois

This region is well-suited for growing lavender, which flourishes at elevations between 500 and 1,200 metres.

Two types of lavender are produced in the Diois, known in French as Lavande Vraie (true) or Fine, and Aspic, which are in turn easy to differentiate from Lavandin, which is a hybrid of the two lavender species.
Lavandin has bushier flowers and is widely cultivated in the Diois as it is the most cost-efficient plant. It grows easily at altitudes up to 800 metres but is far less fragrant than Lavande Vrai or Aspic.


 

Back in your car, drive to the hamlet of Brette, via the village of La Motte Chalancon.

There are only 27 inhabitants in Brette, and half of them work in lavender production. The Mayor, Gérard Blache, is a passionate lavender producer, with his own ten hectares at an elevation of between 700 and 1,100 meters. He distils his flowers to produce a high quality lavender oil, which he sells in his shop in the village of St Nazaire le Désert.

From Brette, starting at the Villard farm, you can walk towards the Servelle, the highest point in the area, a walk that will take you past lavender cuttings and seedlings and through yet more of the delightful colours and odors of the lavender culture.

Mountain guide Eddy Reynaud lives in Brette; he will be able to tell you about the history of lavender cultivation and take you to visit a traditional distillery. He only speaks french but you can join him at + 33 (0)4 75 27 22 92.

You can find lavender oil and all kinds of lavender-based local products at for sale at lavender distilleries, in local shops and at the colourful markets held on different days of the week in the towns and villages of the Diois.
   
From Brette, head off again by car along a dirt road that will take you via the Col de Pennes to Barnave. Around this picturesque botanic village you can find more than 150 local plant varieties that flourish in the climatic conditions of the Diois – very dry summers and cold winters. And here again, on the plateau Les Serres, you will find lavender fields against the spectacular backdrop of the Glandasse mountain.

 
   

For this excursion, and for others you may wish to make, be sure to take a detailed local map with you, or get more information from the Tourist Office in Die, where they can help you in English.

More information about lavender and other local products is available (in French only) in the booklet “Sur les traces de la lavande dans le Haut-Diois - parcours de 2h à 4h autour de Valdrôme, au milieu des champs de lavande” (On the Lavender Trail in the Haute Diois: walking circuits of 2 to 4 hours Near Valdrome, among the lavender fields).
Practical details of “discovery trails” through lavender country are outlined in the booklet. Each walk takes about half a day, but they can also be combined into a three-day voyage that takes in the areas around Valdrôme, Charens, Beaumont, Lesches, Val-Maravel and Beaurières.
Accommodation is available in each of the villages. The booklet can be purchased for 4 € at the Tourist Office.

You can also arrange a visit to a local lavender producer. Click here to see the list of the farms and select as products 'plants and derivative products'.

Tourist Office - Die
00 33 (0)4 75 22 03 03

Tourist Office - Valdrôme
00 33 (0)4 75 21 10 06

   

Did you know that lavender has many qualities?

It is effective against some kinds of venom
It helps to heal wounds
Dried lavender flowers are used to deter moths
( as well as making wardrobes and draws smell delightful)
and just a few drops of lavender oil in the bathwater are renowned for promoting relaxation.