Lavender rows, Plateau de Valensole, Provence, France

© Robert Harding/Shutterstoc

Sea of purple. Lavender rows, Plateau de Valensole, Provence, France

In southeastern France, on the Valensole Plateau, summer arrives in waves of purple and blue. Valensole—one of the largest plateaus in the region—lies in the Verdon Regional Natural Park between the Durance and Asse valleys, near the Gorges du Verdon and its lakes. From mid-June to early July, depending on altitude and weather, lavender and lavandin bloom and transform the landscape into one of Provence's most recognizable sights. The air carries a sharp, dry, and unmistakably Mediterranean scent.

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