Fragrant Alps

It is a post-card scene: a large field of lavender in flower. But look more closely and discover the European relaunch of lavender, which has enabled the dry mountains of the southern Alps in France to cultivate the plant on its slopes permanently. The promoters of the lavender relaunch plan are aiming to increase the number of hectares under cultivation from 2,500 to 4,000, and the level of production from 30 to 70 tonnes in five years. Lavender, unlike its more widespread cousin hybrid lavender, will in fact not grow on the plains. The plan has two elements, of which the agricultural one is the more important. It aims to ensure that lavender producers have the opportunity to exchange their know-how and experience, receive financial support, draw on expert knowledge to develop their production, hone their competitiveness and increase the area under cultivation. At the same time, the tourism element of the plan aims to ensure that the region as a whole benefits from the economic knock-on affect created by the new surge in lavender production. The connection between these two elements is wonderfully illustrated by the Route de la Lavande (Lavender Route) project. From the Jardin des Arômes in Nyons to the Musée de la Lavande in Coustellet, with stop-overs at the southern Alps� distilleries and landscapes, tourists who follow the route have the opportunity to discover the secrets of lavender at leisure, and discover all its many facets. In doing so, they help revitalise an age-old form of cultivation that is the symbol of an entire region.