Valensole: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

The Valensole Plateau is characterized by geometrically arranged lavandin plantations and fields lined with almond trees.

Anyone planning a stay in Valensole will want to rent a holiday apartment there.

Culture

Construction work on Valensole’s Saint-Blaise Church began in 1346.

Saint-Blaise features 14th-century capitals decorated with sculptures, as well as a richly carved walnut pulpit from the 18th century.

A walk through Valensole’s fortified old town leads from Rue Emile Dol via the chemin de ronde, the gate and Place Saint-Mayeul through narrow lanes that descend in a spiral from the church hill.

A nearby fountain can be discovered at the medieval entrance building of the Cour du Doyenné.

The Domaine Le Clos de Villeneuve comprises a bastide built in the first half of the 18th century and a garden laid out across three terraces, with basins and fountains dating from the 17th and 19th centuries.

The Sainte-Marie-Madeleine Chapel has stood since the 11th century.

Today, the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine Chapel is a cultural venue in Valensole; a local association organizes tours and painting exhibitions there.

The annual lavender festival, Fête de la Lavande, takes place on the third Sunday in July.

The Musée vivant de l'abeille presents historical and educational bee collections through tools, photographs and documents.

At the Musée vivant de l'abeille, visitors can observe 30,000 worker bees at work through a glass beehive.

Landscape

The Natura 2000 bat site “Plateau de Valensole” bears the code FR9302007.

The Natura 2000 bird protection site “Valensole” bears the code FR9312012.

The non-irrigated crops of the Valensole Plateau provide a habitat for steppe birds, including the little bustard and the stone-curlew.

The Valensole Plateau features meadows and grasslands, garrigue, scrubland, as well as woods and forests.

Geographical Setting

From the Valensole Plateau, you can see the Pre-Alps mountain range, the Massif du Devoluy, Mont Denier, Chiran, Moure de Chanier, Montagne de Lure, Mont Ventoux, the Massif de la Sainte-Victoire and the Massif de la Sainte-Baume.

Routes

The VALENSOLE–La Trinité circular route passes through lavandin, almond and olive groves to the Chapelle de la Trinité.

Further destinations: Rougon, Esparron-De-Verdon, Forcalquier, Digne-Les-Bains, Saint-Martin-De-Brômes, Redortiers, Cruis, La Brillanne.

To the higher-level travel overview: Alpes-De-Haute-Provence.