In this episode, we are heading to Saint-Remèze in the south of the department close to Vallon-Pont-d’Arc.  There we are going to visit La Maison de la Lavande where you can find out all about this amazing flower with its evocative fragrance and medicinal properties. The story of the centre dates back to 1922 when César Brun bought a sheep farm where he started to harvest wild lavender.   In the late ‘30s, he began to cultivate fine lavender and bought his first still.  By the ‘90s, the farm buildings had stood empty for some 20 years, but in 2002, they were restored by new owners and transformed into the Lavender Museum. Then in 2015, César Brun’s great-grandchildren bought the estate and added various new activities including an educational beehive, an immersive 360° show about ‘Marius, the child of the lavender fields’, and a treasure hunt for children. The museum, shop and café are surrounded by lavender fields and essential oils are extracted on site for use in a wide range of products. We hear from Adrien who drives the little lavender train on tours around the estate to find out more about the origins of lavender cultivation and the distillation process.  And we speak to Nathalie, great-granddaughter of the founder, about the family sheep farm and all her happy memories.

Find all practical informations on https://en.ardeche-guide.com/inspire/ardeche-podcast-in-english/  

Podcast proposé par L’Agence de Développement Touristique de l’Ardèche - Comité éditorial : Nathalie Sisteron et Magali Bourdin - Production : Hervé Hauboldt pour Stereolab - Photo de couverture : Matthieu Dupont - Générique : Immersive Music - Musique : Blue Dot Sessions.