Alpes de Haute-Provence Here your desires take over! ALPES DE HAUTE PROVENCE 1 www.alpes-haute-provence.com THE SCENTS OF THE ALPES DE HAUTE PROVENCE The Alpes de Haute-Provence has a centuries-old tradition of herbalism and perfume plants. The gathering of medicinal and aromatic plants and their use in cookery, the pharmaceutical industry or the making of liqueurs, is part of the heritage. Apart from their sole cultivation, lavender, hybrid lavender and aromatic plants have become a major tourist attraction for the Alpes de Haute- Provence LAVENDER Pages 3/4 AROMATIC PLANTS Page 5 GARDENS Pages 6/7 THE SCENTS CLUSTER Pages 8/9 ALPES DE HAUTE PROVENCE 2 www.alpes-haute-provence.com LAVENDER OF HAUTE-PROVENCE (AOC) The Blue gold of Haute Provence HISTORY First exploited wild, lavender was cultivated from the end of XIXth century, at the same time as other aromatic and perfume plants whose essential oils supplied the perfumeries of Grasse. Just after the First World War, the cultivation of lavandin (a hybrid of true lavender and spike lavender) was to spread widely and supplant lavender in its traditional cultivation areas. Nowadays lavender, regressing despite the creation of a "lavande fine de Haute- Provence" AOC has taken shelter in the pays de Forcalquier around Simiane and the Plateau d'Albion. Hybrid lavender still covers large surface areas on the Valensole plateau at the gateway to the Verdon. From a distance, the smoking chimney stacks of the distilleries indicate the presence of the activities linked to its cultivation: distilling of the plants generally takes place from July to the end of August according to the species. Many of these distilleries, whether private or as cooperatives, can be visited. EXHIBITION "LAVANDE ET PLANTES AROMATIQUES EN HAUTE PROVENCE" IN THE SALAGON HAUTE PROVENCE ETHNOBOTANICAL MUSEUM IN MANE. A very educational exhibition with amusing and sensory trails accessible to the visually impaired. The "jeu des labiées" enables you to see all the field flowers of Haute Provence, the "jeu des senteurs" uses only touch and smell and lastly a miniature lavender field is designed to be touched. Contact: 04 92 75 70 50 -www.musee-de-salagon.com EVENTS Fête de la lavande in Valensole in July This festival demonstrates different aspects of lavender right in the heart of the plateau. All day long, exhibitors and producers propose activities, the sale of derived products and visits of fields or even distilleries every day to the sound of the folk groups. Contact: 04 92 74 90 02 –: www.valensole.fr Lavender month in Digne les Bains with its traditional Corso de la Lavande in August In Digne-les-Bains, at the beginning of August, the Corso de la Lavande is a complete festival for all with 2 processions and floats decorated and perfumed with lavender, majorettes and musicians from all over Europe. From 25th to 29th, the lavender days provide many activities in the festival and in the town with a demonstration of lavender- cutting in the fields and lavender distillation in the distillery. Contact: 04 92 36 62 62 –: www.ot-dignelesbains.fr La Lavande en fête in Esparron de Verdon in August (Lavender Fair) Many exhibitors and producers will be present to celebrate the most Provencal of flowers. Contact: 04 92 77 15 97 ALPES DE HAUTE PROVENCE 3 www.alpes-haute-provence.com DISCOVERY Discovering traditional crafts on the Valensole plateau The visit of the traditional distillery in la Ferme Campagne Neuve gives a presentation of the outfit, information on the markets, on the different varieties of lavender and the various uses of essential oils. In season (from June to September), guided tour of the distillery. Out of season, video projection for groups, please book first. Booking compulsory. Contact: 04 92 74 80 53 Visit of the town still in Thorame-Haute The still is located around 1 km from the centre of the village. The visits takes place during the distillation period (approx. from 1st to 20th August, according to climate conditions, please enquire beforehand). Contact: 04 92 83 91 04 Visit of the Mézel distillery Old-fashioned lavender harvesting and traditional distillation. Guided excursion, meeting with local producers. Harvesting demonstration in the field. Contact: 04 92 36 62 62 Le Moulin Brun in Aubenas-les-Alpes, Visit of the distillery From the farm to the distillery, from the cutting to essential oil, discover the production of olfactory nectars which are so characteristic of the Alpes de Haute-Provence. Guided visit with commentary by the producer. Contact: 04 92 76 61 19 ALPES DE HAUTE PROVENCE 4 www.alpes-haute-provence.com AROMATIC PLANTS Over the years, other plants have been cultivated besides lavender and are a patchwork of colour in the Haute-Provence landscape: clary sage, mint, tarragon, hyssop, thyme, etc. These vast stretches of cultivated lavender are a beautiful sight, with the area of Puimichel for perfumery and herbalism crops, and the pays de Forcalquier, between Lure and the Luberon, with its aromatic plants. From a distance, the smoking chimney stacks of the distilleries indicate the presence of the activities linked to its cultivation: distilling of the plants generally takes place from July to the end of August according to the species. Many of these distilleries, whether private or as cooperatives, can be visited. Beyond their industrial and traditional uses which have a big impact on the landscape, aromatic plants play a large part in the everyday life of the inhabitants of Haute- Provence, in a more secret but certainly deeper manner. They have considerable knowledge of the plant kingdom and its medicinal, for food, ornamental, symbolic, etc. PRODUCERS Société Coopérative Agricole des Plantes à Parfum de Provence 04150 Simiane La Rotonde Tel: 04 92 75 93 12 Association des producteurs d’Huiles essentielles De Haute Provence 04000 Digne Les Bains Tel: 04 92 30 57 57 Office National Interprofessionnel des Plantes à Parfum, Aromatiques et Médicinales 04130 Volx Tel: 04 92 79 34 46 Comité Economique des Plantes à Parfum Aromatiques et Médicinales 04100 Manosque Tel: 04 92 72 47 62 EVENTS Foire à l’herboristerie à Saint Etienne Les Orgues on 14th July (Herbalism Fair) A day of Provencal folk events, conferences on perfume plants, activities on the theme of herbalism and apothecaries and competitions on the subject of aromatic plants and how they are cultivated. Contact: 04 92 73 00 22 Journées Internationales des Huiles Essentielles in Digne les Bains in September (International Day of Essential Oils) Various conferences and exhibitions on essential oils and plants will be presented during these two days. Contact: 04 92 32 03 83 DISCOVERY STAYS Itinéraire paysan: « Chemin de senteurs et de couleurs » (Peasant itineraries: “Scent and colour trail” Between Saint-Etienne-les-Orgues and Cruis, at le Coulet, Françoise and Laurent Milesi welcome you to their land filled with colour and scents. They are heirs to a family know-how, but also the hybrid lavender plants which were planted fourteen years ago and stand out against the foothills of the Montagne de Lure. Laurent will tell of how he runs his farm, his research into the shades and colours of lavender and also lavender’s properties in aromatherapy. You will also discover the whole production chain for the collected flower, from its cultivation to sorting and using the stem for compost. The visit ends with a distillation demonstration using a little copper still. Contact: Françoise and Laurent MILESI Tel.: 04 92 77 05 63 ALPES DE HAUTE PROVENCE 5 www.alpes-haute-provence.com GARDENS The gardens of the Alpes de Haute-Provence with their infinite variety of plants are real scent museums and well worth a visit. Places for discovery and learning, dreams and relaxation, they offer programmed visits or a restful walk. LA THOMASSINE in Manosque: A biodiversity house and a quest for forgotten tastes. With its 4-hectare orchard and its 5 000 m2 vegetable garden, la Thomassine is a living museum of forgotten plants and the place to discover wild and domestic biodiversity. Its collection includes a 12 000-tree orchard-conservatory with 290 old fruit-tree varieties and a vegetable garden with dozens of varieties which have all but disappeared. It has an exhibition room, a video room, a Mediterranean forest discovery path, water mines, an aqueduct, a sundial, a fish pond and a picnic area. La Thomassine is managed by the Luberon Park which received the " Biosphere Reserve" label in 1998. Contact: Tel: 04 92 87 74 40 LE JARDIN BOTANIQUE DES CORDELIERS à Digne-les-Bains The Cordeliers botanical garden which is part of the routes de la lavande circuit, has 350 species of aromatic, medicinal and food plants all from the plant heritage of Haute- Provence. The basic structure of the site respects the architecture of the Medieval knot garden’s square plots. The surrounding buildings date back to 13th century, when the Couvent des Cordeliers was built. Tel: 04 92 36 62 62 THE CHÂTEAU DE SAUVAN AND ITS GARDENS in Mane the “Petit Trianon” of Haute-Provence is a Historical listed Monument with the elegant aspect of a pleasure castle. Built in the pure classical style of 18th century, its sandstone facades rise above a gentle green alcove. Four hectares of French formal gardens are in the course of development. 04 92 75 05 64 –www.chateaudesauvan.com LE JARDIN DES PAPILLONS in Digne-Les-Bains (BUTTERFLY GARDEN) This garden is entirely devoted to butterflies and the public can see around a hundred species, which represents over half the species listed in France, flying free in ideal natural surroundings. The reproduction and establishment of species are possible thanks to the conservation of the caterpillars’ host plants and the cultivation of nectar-bearing flowers which ensure food for the butterflies.