Harvest in Provence

About : Harvest in Provence

Due to the lovely climate in Provence, many delicious and beautiful produce grow throughout the region, but two of the most profitable and interesting events are the olive and lavender harvests.

Olives harvests in Provence

Olives are grown throughout France in abundance and are often picked in September.

• Fête des Olives Vertes (Green Olive Festival) in Mouriès: two day event in September. Mouriès, found in the Alpilles area, produces the most olive oil in France and exports it throughout the world. This largely industrial village celebrates the harvest with traditional craft and produce stalls from local traders (with tasty olive oil-based treats), horse-drawn cart rides around the olives groves and a party in the streets. Traditional dancing can be seen and the traditional Provençal dialect can be heard, when the clergymen bless the green olive.

Lavender harvests in Provence

Lavender is harvested between July and September, as this is when the flower's essence is at its peak due to the radiant Provence summer sun roasting the beauty to the surface.

Just before lavender is harvested these beautiful forests of flowers create some incredible photo opportunities and sights to visit, with one of the most famous lavender photos in Provence being the field in front of the Abbaye de Sénanque near Gordes.

Also lavender farms, lavender festivals (mainly in Sault and Valréas) and distilleries are a great way to sample and learn about the flowers. There is also a Lavender Museum in Coustellet, telling the story of the farming of lavender in Provence.