The Valensole plateau: the colours of Provence
Near Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and the Verdon Gorges stretches a vast agricultural landscape: the Valensole plateau.
With approximately 800 km², This is one of the great open landscapes of Haute-Provence.
And contrary to popular belief, the plateau is not just about lavender.
Lavender, of course!
It is in June and early July that the plateau offers its most famous spectacle.
The lavender fields then take on purple hues that contrast with the yellow of the cereals.
The Moustiers Tourist Office usually reports a bloom of mid-June to mid-July, depending on the conditions of the year.
For photography, the first and last hours of the day are particularly interesting.
But also the almond trees
In March, a complete change of scenery.
Almond trees in bloom cover the landscape with touches of pink.
Then come the lavenders, the wheats, the sunflowers and the immortelles.
The set therefore changes its appearance completely over the seasons.
A true agricultural region
The plateau produces, among other things:
- lavender and lavandin,
- cereals,
- almonds,
- olives,
- truffles.
The municipality of Valensole itself presents the plateau as the "granary of the region".
Valensole is not just a landscape.
The small roads allow you to discover villages like Puimoisson and Roumoules, in an agricultural environment very different from the French Riviera coastline.
The Moustiers Tourist Office offers, among other things, a cycling route allowing you to discover several villages on the plateau.
The Verdon Plateau and Gorges
This is the association I recommend.
A day can easily become: Moustiers-Sainte-Marie → Lake of Sainte-Croix → Verdon Gorges → Valensole Plateau.
Or, during the flowering period: Moustiers → Valensole lavender fields → Verdon.
Also worth discovering:
→ Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
→ Upper Var
→ Gorges of Cians and Daluis
→ Var et Provence intérieure
→ Verdon Gorges
→ The hilltop villages of the French Riviera