Lavender rows, Plateau de Valensole, Provence, France 5 Jul 2026

Lavender rows, Plateau de Valensole, Provence, France

In southeastern France, on the Valensole Plateau, summer arrives in waves of purple and blue. Valensole—one of the largest plateaus in the region—lies in the Verdon Regional Natural Park between the Durance and Asse valleys, near the Gorges du Verdon and its lakes. From mid-June to early July, depending on altitude and weather, lavender and lavandin bloom and transform the landscape into one of Provence"s most recognisable sights. The air carries a sharp, dry and unmistakably Mediterranean scent.

© Robert Harding/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Pick your paradise
A mile-high island
5 Jul 2024Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
5 Jul 2025Pride in London

More Desktop Wallpapers:

A delightfully ornate Easter display
17 Jul 2026Vai, Crete, Greece
The envy of postcards and snowglobes
26 Jun 2026The River Thames, London
Singing the blues
Santa slalom
23 Dec 2023Festivus
Home of racing legends
24 Jul 2024Cousins Day
Beauty by the bay
6 Dec 2025Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
28 Feb 2026Oloupena Falls, island of Molokai, Hawaii, United States
1 Dec 2024Antarctica Day
8 Feb 2025Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
13 Jun 2024Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
20 May 2026World Bee Day
22 Jan 2025Ad-Deir, Petra, Jordan
6 May 2025An ultralight aircraft flying over the sands of Namibia
29 Sep 2023Castell Coch, Wales
On the edge
31 May 2024Gunnerside, Yorkshire Dales National Park, England
A rocky wrinkle in time
7 Dec 2025A pine forest in Alsace, France
3 Jun 2024World Bicycle Day
20 Mar 2026Spring equinox
21 Feb 2024Firefall at Yosemite
24 Feb 2025Giant cuttlefish, Whyalla, South Australia, Australia
Aug 27, 2023Jeju Island, South Korea
7 Sep 2025Great North Run
1 Dec 2025Antarctica Day