Let’s Go Lavender Chasing in the Villages and Hills of Provence
When the lavender is in bloom, Provence reveals a completely different side of itself. The region’s old-world charm feels almost amplified, as if history itself has been brushed with soft strokes of purple. Lavender spills across open fields, frames medieval homes, and scents the air with a calm that lingers long after you’ve left. This is Provence at its most magical, slow, fragrant, and deeply visual.
The Fields and Their Surroundings
Our lavender journey begins in Sault, an ancient fortified village perched high on a ridge. From here, the views stretch endlessly across a valley carpeted in lavender. The scene feels vast yet intimate at the same time, rows of purple rolling into the distance under the Provençal sky. The weathered stone façades of Sault’s centuries-old houses glow softly in the warm light, creating timeless scenes of rural France that beg to be photographed from every angle.
As we continue, the countryside opens up to the iconic Valensole Plateau, often called the heart of Provence’s lavender kingdom. In summer, the plateau transforms into a sea of vibrant purple, with gentle hills and long, rhythmic rows of lavender. The breeze carries the unmistakable fragrance through the fields, and the landscape feels almost meditative. Whether you’re drawn to wide panoramas or quieter corners, Valensole offers endless visual stories.
Where History Blends Seamlessly into Nature
Few places capture the harmony between history and nature as beautifully as Gordes, one of Provence’s most iconic hilltop villages. Before reaching the village itself, we visit the Abbaye de Sénanque, a 12th-century Cistercian abbey set against a breathtaking backdrop of lavender fields. When the flowers are in bloom, the sight is unforgettable, ancient stone walls rising from waves of violet, creating a scene that feels both powerful and serene.
This is where Provence truly shines. Lavender doesn’t overpower the landscape; it complements it. Medieval architecture, cobbled stone pathways, and old village homes seem to belong naturally among the fields, as though they were always meant to exist together. As you chase the lavender, you also trace centuries of Provençal life, layered gently into the land.
The Art of Capturing Lavender
Photographing lavender in Provence is as much about feeling as it is about technique. The fields invite you to slow down—to notice how the light changes, how the rows create natural leading lines, and how a single blossom can be just as compelling as a sweeping landscape. In Valensole, you might frame distant farmhouses against endless purple rows; in Sault, you may focus on the textures of stone and flowers meeting at the edge of a village.
Even small moments matter—lavender growing near a garden, or in a quiet corner of a nearby park, reminding us why travel feels so enriching. Provence during lavender season isn’t just something you see; it’s something you experience with all your senses, and that’s what makes capturing it so special.
Provence Awaits Your Camera
As we chase lavenders and capture Provence, its architecture, landscapes, and quiet village life, ‘flower photography’ becomes a natural and almost instinctive part of the journey. It’s an art that may seem simple at first, yet for many of us, it’s where our love for photography truly began: pausing for a single beautiful flower.
Here in Provence, that familiar act feels larger than life, with endless fields unfolding before us and memories forming with every frame. At this stage, it’s less about merely recording what’s in front of us and more about how we choose to interpret it, using layering, compression, controlled exposure, and thoughtful framing to shape the narrative. By working a scene patiently, abstracting the familiar, and noticing the gentle transitions between flowers, stone, and sky, technique quietly guides the image. What emerges is not just a photograph of lavender, but a personal visual expression of Provence, shaped by experience and refined through craft.
Join our Lavender in Provence Tour, July 10-16, 2026, where we explore the region at its most beautiful and ensure you experience Provence as it blooms into its purple glory. From historic villages to endless fields, this is Provence at its most unforgettable.
