The two thousand year old olive orchards of Les Baronnies spread out around the foot of the Mont Ventoux between Nyons and Carpentras. They are the northernmost and most compact in France.
This geographic position explains some years of particularly destructive frost.
But it was the night of February 1, 1956 that would ring the death knoll for many olive trees: in the space of a few hours, a brutal drop in temperature of 20° shattered the branches and even the sap-filled trunks of the olive trees.
The olive now produced is the Tanche, coming from the tree of the Tanche variety, the only variety that can resist inclement weather and, more particularly, successive frosts. The Tanche is a beautiful, very upright tree with dense foliage.
The production of olives and olive oil is a very important activity in the region with 260,000 olive trees covering two zones, that of Nyons (the Eygue Valley) and of Buis-les-Baronnies (the Ouvèze Valley). 35 communes in the Drome and 18 in the northern Vaucluse cultivate the olive. The plantations have developed since the 1980s.
In 1994, the region of Les Baronnies was given the AOC then the AOP appellation, the first in France and in Europe.
Olive-tourism has developed with the organization of many events and activities linked to the olive and olive oil throughout the year. Trails let you discover during your walks the cultivation, the farming methods and the methods for making olive oil.
The olive tree is called immortal because offshoots grow when the trunk dies. It begins to bear fruit around its seventh year and achieves full maturity at the age of 35. It can produce olives for centuries as long as it is regularly pruned. Pruning helps the tree develop for a greater and better quality output.
The olive orchards of Nyons are labelled “Remarkable Site of Taste”.
The Olive Road - Buis-les-Baronnies
67.4 km of easy walking with 2088 m+ of slope
Starting point GPS Coordinates: 44.27, 5.278
The Olive Tree Trail - Nyons
4 km of easy walking
Starting point GPS Coordinates: 44.36, 5.139
Olive Oil Festival - Buis les Baronnies
Tél.: +33 (0)4 75 28 04 59
The Alicoque Festival or Festival of New Olive Oil - Nyons
from the 1st weekend in February to the end of the olive harvest.
3rd weekend in July – 3 days of events with the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Olive Tree
Olives of Nyons
Olive orchards of Nyons
Black olives of Nyons
Bottle of olive oil
Tourist Office of Buis-les-Baronnies - 14, boulevard Michel Eysséric – BP18 - 26170 Buis-les-Baronnies
+33 (0)4 75 28 04 59
http://www.buislesbaronnies.comWhere to sleep?
