Terroir & local life
The terroir of the Verdon
Valensole lavender, Aups black truffle, Moustiers faience, Pierrevert wine: the Verdon is a land of flavours and craftsmanship. Here are its specialities, the producers you can visit and the markets where to find them.
The specialities
The purple fields of the Valensole plateau — the postcard image of Haute-Provence.
The “black diamond” of the Haut-Var: Aups is one of its capitals, with its winter truffle market.
Olive groves of the Haut-Var, pressed in the region's mills from autumn onwards.
The southernmost appellation in the Alps, at the western gateway to the Valensole plateau.
Lavender honey, harvested when the plateau is in bloom.
An art born in the 17th century, cobalt-blue decoration then polychrome — the great name of Verdon craftsmanship.
The almond tree, cousin of lavender on the plateau — and the nougat that comes from it.
The rustic grain of the mid-mountain plateaus, grown here since Antiquity.
Producers & workshops to visit
Local producers of the Verdon →
The truffle markets
- Aups — Thursdays · mid-November to mid-March
- Aups — June–August (summer truffle / night markets)
- Riez — Wednesdays · early November to late February
And in summer, Provençal markets bring the lakeside villages to life (Régusse, Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, Bauduen, Les Salles-sur-Verdon, Aiguines, Quinson…). Find all the weekly markets and festivals in the Verdon events calendar.
Frequently asked questions
What are the specialities of the Verdon?
Lavender and lavandin from the Valensole plateau, black truffle from the Haut-Var (Aups, Riez), faience from Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, AOC Coteaux de Pierrevert wine, olive oil, lavender honey, Valensole almonds and nougat, and petit épeautre (einkorn) from Haute-Provence.
Where can you see lavender fields in the Verdon?
On the Valensole plateau (Valensole, Puimoisson, Riez), the largest lavender plateau in the region. Flowering runs from mid-June to mid-July; distillation takes place in July–August. It's one of the most beautiful sights in Provence.
Where can you buy truffles in the Verdon?
At the winter truffle markets: Aups (Thursdays, from mid-November to mid-March) and Riez (Wednesdays, from November to February). Aups is one of the capitals of black truffle in the Var.
What is Moustiers faience?
An art faience born in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie in the 17th century (the first master faience-maker, Pierre Clérissy, set up in 1679), famous for its cobalt-blue decoration on a white background and later its polychrome designs. Several workshops in the village can still be visited.
Check for yourself
The external sources this page relies on, one click away.We would rather you be able to contradict us than ask you to take our word for it.
- INAO — Institut national de l’origine et de la qualitéinao.gouv.fr
Public body that recognises and monitors the official quality labels (AOP, IGP, Label Rouge): the only authority that establishes that a terroir product is entitled to an appellation.
- Verdon Regional Nature Parkparcduverdon.fr
The area’s managing authority: regulations by environment (land, aquatic, vertical), bivouacking and camping, fire, drones, advice from the Park rangers.
- Verdon Tourisme — intercommunal tourist officeverdontourisme.com
Official tourist information for the area: sites, services and trip-planning advice.
3 of these 3 links responded during our last automated check, on 2026-10-02. A broken link is removed, never left in place.