Lavender Farm in Pakszyn (Alternatively through Poland)
I. Sunsets in July.
In the second week of July, the weather cooled down, capriciously serving us rain, again and again. Along with these showers large, whirling cumuluses appeared, allowing only those most patient sunrays to penatrate the sky. Even though the days seemed bleak, the evening sunsets compensated for the daytime dimness. Around 8:00 pm, the spectacles began: the colors spilled over the horizon, painting the sky in orange, gold and pink. The swollen clouds tried to cover the sun coming down to the ground, but the bright lights of which emerged from beneath them with bright streams looked like party lasers. What a sight it was! I admired it from the balcony, or from the rearview mirror when I coming back home later thank usual. In the end, I decided to go to a lavender farm on Thursday to see the landscapes within the stunning sky. Unfortunately, having no company, I quickly lost my motivation and resigned from my trip after returning home from work. It's a pity, because the sunset of that day was really gorgeous! So I decided to look for a companion and make an appointment for a specific day, so that the situation would not be repeated. On Friday, it started raining, crossing our initial plans, but on Monday the trip finally came to be true.
II. On the way to Lawendowe Zdroje.
To feel the Provencal vibe, we didn't have to go far. Greater Poland's Lawendowe Zdroje (the lavender farm) is located in Pakszyn near Czerniejewo, on the route between Gniezno and Września. The road led mainly through villages and forests, and we arrived on the spot after about an hour. From Poznan to the lavender plantation is even closer, because it's only 50 kilometers away (around 30 miles).
III. Fields of lavender.
The lavender plantation covers an area of one hectare and has been growing there since 2012. Interestingly, it was entirely made of seeds sown by the founders. The owners of Lawendowe Zdroje are open to visitors and willingly share the field from mid-June to the end of July to amateur photo shoots. You can come to Pakszyn at any time of the day, take your beloved pet or the whole family with you and take some pictures for free. Only professional sessions (eg weddings) are paid and you are required to make an appointment in advance. The cost of a session is PLN 20 (5 euro), so it's not much anyway. You can read more about the Lawendowe Zdroje on the official website HERE (Polish only). You can also contact the owner, Mrs. Paulina, directly at 0048 661 871 199.
IV. Share your piece of Provence.
Lavender two- to three-week harvest begins in July and in fact, when we arrived on the farm in the middle of the month, some of the flowers were already felled. The number of people visiting Lawendowe Zdroje surprised us, especially since it was Monday. Later, we learned that at the previous weekend there were so many cars that they couldn't fit in the 'parking lot', and you had to queue up to take a photo! Therefore, I advise to avoid summer weekends in advance, I would rather recommend to come to Pakszyn during the week! And on that Monday, in addition to a group of children with parents, there were only young girls in white dresses with a small dog, a lady with a hat and the two of us. Everyone wanted to catch the best shot and snap a piece of the purple landscape for themselves. At first, we felt uncomfortable there, but after a few walks around the plantation and the neighboring fields, we stopped noticing the gathered company. Nobody was disturbing the others, quite the opposite, and during the culmination of the sunset we were left alone on the farm. In the meantime, we noticed several other interesting open air sites nearby, such as a golden field of wheat, the moon before eclipse and an old, broken car introducing a ruralistic atmosphere. You can admire the effects of our work in the pictures below! Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank Igor for his cooperation and I encourage you to follow his account on Instagram: @pure_escapist.
Despite the fact that I'm rather against cliche places, I felt that Lavender Zdroje would arouse interest and ... I was not wrong. How do you like this place? Please, let me know in the comments if you plan to visit them? Or maybe you've already been there and would like to share your impressions? Do you recommend any other lavender fields in your area? :)