Traditional lavender distillation workshop

At the Musée de la Lavande in Cabrières-d’Avignon, the traditional lavender distillation workshop is built around a 19th-century open-flame copper still. Visitors help the distiller fill the still with lavandin, then watch the essential oil emerge drop by drop, a moment the whole family can enjoy together.

A late 19th-century copper still that is still in use

Every summer, the museum garden brings back a scene that once played out in every village across Provence: distilling the harvest. Pride of place goes to a genuine copper still dating from the late 19th century. It is no reconstruction, since it still works today. It used to be fired with wood and now runs on gas, but the principle is unchanged.

From steam to the Florentine flask: the stages explained by the distiller

The distiller accompanies visitors throughout the process and explains each stage. Steam passes through freshly cut lavandin flowers and carries off their aromatic molecules. It then condenses in the coil, after which the essential oil separates from the floral water in the Florentine flask. The distiller also points out what sets true lavender, which grows wild in the mountains of Provence, apart from lavandin, a more recent hybrid grown for industry.

Joining in, with explanations suited to children

Depending on when you visit, you may be able to take part: filling the vat, taking the spent flowers out of the still, or watching the essence being drawn off. The rest of the time, the distillation runs its course while the distiller comments on it live. Questions are welcome, and the explanations are adapted for children, which makes the workshop a discovery for the whole family.

25 to 30 minutes around the still, 1.5 hours with the museum’s audio-guided visit

The workshop lasts 25 to 30 minutes around the still. If you add the museum visit with an audio guide, available in 10 languages, allow about 1.5 hours in total. The workshop is included in the museum admission ticket at no extra cost.

From 4 July to 23 August 2027, 12pm to 5:30pm, except Saturdays

The workshop runs from Sunday 4 July to Monday 23 August 2027, every day except Saturday, from 12pm to 5:30pm. Booking is recommended, as places per session are limited. The workshop is intended for individual visitors: groups should contact the museum.