Mont-de-Marsan > Bordeaux

LANDES (40)

Population: 409,325
Prefecture : Mont-de-Marsan
Sub-prefecture : Dax
Number of municipalities : 535
Surface area : 9,243 m².
Specialities: foie gras, duck breast, duck confit, farm poultry and Chalosse beef, Adour salmon, Adour asparagus and kiwi, tourtière, pastis landais, Armagnac, Floc de Gascogne, Wines (Tursan, vin des sables, Coteaux de Chalosse)
Sports clubs: Basket Landes (women's league); US Dax Rugby (Pro D2); Stade Montois Rugby (Pro D2)
Sports events: Quiksilver Pro Surf, Ous Pins International Riding Competition in Tartas, French Landes Race Championship, "La Luis Ocana" cycling race, Eurocup Basket Landes, French Adapted Table Tennis Championship, Traversée des Landes en Roller, Biscarrosse Tandem Surfing World Cup, XLandes Golf Trophy, Handilandes, XL Raid
Main tourist sites: Nature reserve of the Huchet current, Hossegor marine lake, Cap de l'Homy beach and Contis lighthouse, Arjuzanx nature reserve, Marais d'Orx, Capbreton pier, Marquèze eco-museum in Sabres, Arthous abbey in Hastingues, hydraviation museum in Biscarrosse, Buglose basilica in Saint Vincent de Paul, the Lady's house in Brassempouy, the earthenware and tableware museum in Samadet, the castle and plantarium in Gaujacq, the Chalosse museum in Montfort en Chalosse, the spa town of Dax, the Despiau-Wlérick museum in Mont de Marsan, Notre Dame des cyclistes in Labastide d'Armagnac.
Cultural events: Arte Flamenco in Mont-de-Marsan, Musicalarue in Luxey, Toros y Salsa in Dax, Le Festival des abbayes, Jazz in Sanguinet, Latinossegor, the Storytelling Festival in Capbreton, the Fêtes de Dax and Mont-de-Marsan and the local festivals in each village of the Landes (course landaise, bullfighting, bandas)
Economy : Tourism, thermalism, agriculture, forestry, cattle and poultry breeding, food processing, wood and wood products industries
Websites and social networks:  https://www.landes.fr/ / https://www.facebook.com/Departement.Landes / https://twitter.com/LesLandes40 / https://www.youtube.com/user/departementlandes / https://www.flickr.com/photos/departementdeslandes/sets/ / http://www.tourismelandes.com / http://www.alalandaise.fr/ / http://www.landestyle.com/

ROQUEFORT

The village is on the Vézelay route of the Camino de Compostela. Its bullring, mainly dedicated to the Landes race, has been listed as a Historic Monument since 2007.

St. Mary's Church
Construction: 12th to 17th century.
Style: Romanesque.
History and characteristics: the fortified bell tower of the church originates from the keep of a castle built in the 10th century. A priory was founded by the Benedictines in the 12th century. It was one of the many possessions of the powerful abbey of Saint-Sever. The church dates from this period. Its Romanesque chevet was reinforced by thick buttresses around the 14th century. Its apse has no openings: there were seven that gave plenty of light to the choir, but in the 16th century, it was transformed into a fortress because of the Wars of Religion, with a bell tower and an attic where, if necessary, a garrison could be kept. The Gothic nave was enlarged at the expense of the cloister. The portal is marked with the arms of Roquefort: three stars and three rocks. The church still has the lower door, which was only used by the cagots. Inside, two paintings of the Assumption can be admired. The oldest, from the 16th century, was discovered in 1951. Only a few remains of the monastery of the Poor Clares and the convent of the Cordeliers remain.
Listed as: Historical Monument since 1996.

GIRONDE (33)

Region: New Aquitaine
Population: 1.6 million
Prefecture: Bordeaux
Sub-prefectures: Arcachon, Blaye, Langon, Lesparre-Médoc, Libourne
Number of municipalities: 535
Area: 10,725 km2 (largest department in mainland France)
Specialities: Bordeaux wines, Médoc vineyards, Graves, Entre-Deux Mers, Saint-Emilion, Pauillac, Pomerol, Sauternes, Saint-Julien, Moulis, Margaux, Fronsac, Saint-Estèphe, Pessac-Léognan... Canelés. Lamb from Pauillac. Oysters from the Arcachon basin, lamprey, shad. Chabrot. Caviar from Gironde. Strawberries from Pessac. Lillet. Marie Brizard. Pigeons. Sarments du Médoc (chocolates). Bordeaux sauce. Ceps from Bordeaux, asparagus from Blayais.
Sights: Gironde estuary, Pauillac quays, surfing on the Côte d'Argent (Lacanau, Hourtin, Carcans), Arcachon basin, Dune du Pilat, Lège-Cap Ferret, medieval town of Saint-Émilion (Unesco World Heritage), Cordouan lighthouse. Citadel of Blaye. Castles of Roquetaillade, La Brède, Langoiran, Rauzan, Vayres, Cadillac, Cazeneuve, Villandraut. Villages of Saint-Macaire, Rions, La Réole... Abbeys of Vertheuil, La Sauve-Majeure. Ornithological park of Le Teich. In the name of Le Corbusier: La Cité Frugès in Pessac.
Sports clubs: Girondins de Bordeaux (L1 football), Union Bordeaux-Bègles (Top 14 rugby), Stade Bordelais ASPTT (D1 women's rugby), Boxers de Bordeaux (ice hockey)
Competitions: Décastar (Talence), Lacanau Pro (surfing), Médoc Marathon, Bordeaux Metropole Marathon, Tour de Gironde (cycling), Jumping International de Bordeaux (showjumping), BNP Paribas Primerose Bordeaux (tennis)
Festivals : Bordeaux International Women's Film Festival, Bordeaux Coupé Court Short Film Festival, Bordeaux European Short Film Festival, Escale du livre, Fest'arts, Bordeaux Cinémascience International Film Festival, Bègles Animation Film Festival, Pessac International History Film Festival, Bordeaux International Independent Film Festival, Pauillac Film Festival, Festival des Hauts de Garonne, Lire en Poche, Festival Musicacité, Musik à Pile, Nuits atypiques, Ouvre la Voix, La Part des anges (festival), Reggae Sun Ska Festival, Les Rendez-vous de Terres Neuves, Les Riches Heures de La Réole, Festival VivaCité, Scènes d'été en Gironde, Bordeaux Fête le vin, Bordeaux Fête le Fleuve, Reggae Sun Ska, Bordeaux Open Air, Ouvre la voix.
Economy: viticulture, forestry, oyster farming. Tourism. Aeronautics, agri-food and wood-paper. Administration, services.
Websites and social networks: https://www.gironde.fr/ / https://www.gironde-tourisme.fr/ / https://www.facebook.com/Departement.Gironde / https://twitter.com/gironde?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor /  https://www.instagram.com/departementgironde/?hl=fr

GRIGNOLS

The commune has no less than six churches, the main one being Notre-Dame de l'Immaculée-Conception. Three capitals from the ruined church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Auzac are kept in the Musée d'Aquitaine in Bordeaux.  

Castle of Grignols
Construction: 15th and 16th centuries, restored in the 19th century.
Style: Renaissance.
Characteristics: square keep, dwelling flanked by turrets, chapel.
History: the current castle was built on the ruins of an older one: the family of Granhols is mentioned in 1312 in a will of Pope Clement V. In 1581, the lordship of Grignols sold the castle and its outbuildings to the Esparbes de Lussan family and then to Jean de Grignols. It was at this time that the village of Grignols was born. In 1753, Charles-Philippe, Count of Pons, became the owner. His heirs, the Sabrans de Ponteves, passed on the castle and the land until the Second World War. It was sold to the Grignols town council, which sold it to the CEMME company in 1991 to make it a venue for family and professional events.
Current destination: renamed Domaine de la dame blanche, it hosts seminars and weddings. 

LANGON

A traditional stopover on the Bordeaux-Toulouse route, the town of Langon is located on the left bank of the Garonne, near the border between the Graves vineyards and the edge of the Landes forest. It is one of the sub-prefectures of Gironde. The history of the town is inseparable from that of Bazas, some fifteen kilometres to the south, an important military and religious centre from antiquity until the 18th century, of which Langon was the port on the Garonne, rivalling that of Bordeaux for a time. Langon was marked by the vine, which made its wealth as a port, at the crossroads of the Graves and Sauternes vineyards. The commune itself is on the territory of the Graves.   The Tour de France stopped in Langon in 1975 and 1976, for two half-stages both won by Freddy Maertens. It is also the birthplace of Thomas Boudat, who after a brilliant career on the track, crowned by an omnium world champion title in 2014, moved on to the road in the teams led by Jean-René Bernaudeau. Now with Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Métropole, the sprinter has participated in two Tours de France, in 2017 and 2018.  

Notre-Dame Church
Construction: 12th century.
Style: Romanesque.
History: this 12th century church was destroyed before becoming national property during the Revolution and being transformed into a meeting place, a show place and then a cinema. In 1926, the owner decided to sell most of the capitals to a rich American collector, who donated them in 1934 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The chapel was rebuilt as part of the New York Cloister Museum, which houses many cloisters and elements of French churches sold to collectors.

VERDELAIS

A place of pilgrimage since the 11th century, Verdelais has prospered around its basilica dedicated to the Marian cult. The locality is marked by the presence of two celebrities, Nobel Prize winner François Mauriac, who often visited the basilica from his estate in Malagar, and painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who was buried there after spending his last days at the nearby Château de Malromé.  

Malromé Castle
Construction: 16th century.
History: this former wine château, built by a former member of the Bordeaux Parliament in the 16th century, was acquired in 1883 by the Countess Adèle de Toulouse-Lautrec. Her son, the famous painter Henri, discovered the château at the age of 19, and enjoyed it very much. Every year, he made long stays there during the summer. He painted tirelessly and, to relax, he rowed and shot with a bow and arrow with equipment sent by his father. He ended his life there and died on 9 September 1901, aged 37, before being buried in the Verdelais cemetery, where his mother joined him 29 years later, in 1930.
Current destination: bought by a rich Chinese-Cambodian patron, it has received the Maisons des Illustres label in homage to painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. In addition to visits, receptions, exhibitions and concerts (9,000 visitors per year), the château has specialised in wine tourism. The Darroze house opened a restaurant there in 2018.
Listed as: Maison des Illustres in 2016.

RIONS

In 1330, Edward III of England allowed Guillaume Seguin, Lord of Rions, to surround the town with ramparts. The walls that have survived are reminiscent of the characteristics of this period. The plan of the town forms an irregular polygon. The south-western side is protected by walls and rocks at the foot of which ditches have been dug. Two parallel ditches surround the rest of the town. They are separated by a narrow strip of land topped by a walkway, which was once protected by palisades. Gates in the ramparts provide access to the town. Remaining from these ramparts are the Lhyan tower, the imposing southern entrance to the town, the upper parts of which were restored in 1881 by architect Léon Drouyn; the Citadel, a tower which stands facing the Garonne near the Place Jules de Gères (Place de la Mairie); the ramparts on the western flank of the city, adjoining the Citadel and at the foot of which lies the Charles VII cave; and the Watchtower which stands in a small street behind the church of Saint-Seurin (12th century). The whole of the remains has been listed as a historical monument since 1862.

LE TOURNE

In Le Tourne, the Tramasset shipyards are the last remaining of the six that existed in the commune in 1874. Taken over in 1837 by Pierre Tramasset, they consisted of a small yard for the construction of wooden boats and a large yard for the repair of larger boats. These two elements are linked to the Garonne by docks equipped with rails for hoisting boats. A kiln for bending wood was added to this complex. A sawmill was installed around 1900, then the factory was electrified. The shipyards ceased operations in 1983. The complex has been listed as a historical monument since 2008.

QUINSAC

Animal painter Rosa Bonheur spent several years of her childhood at the Château de Grimont in Quinsac, where she earned the reputation of a "tomboy" that followed her throughout her life. The war memorial created by sculptor Gaston Schnegg in 1920 is of pacifist inspiration. 

Château Péconet
Construction: 17th century.
Style: Renaissance.
Characteristics: this is one of the rare examples of a residence from the first half of the 17th century preserved in the Bordeaux area. The architectural sculpted decoration, of Mannerist inspiration, was drawn from the collections of ornamentalists. The rectangular two-storey building, including an attic floor lit only by dormer windows, flanked by two pavilions with high roofs, was bought in the 18th century by a wealthy American named Péconet, who gave it his name.
Current use: wine estate.
Listing: the facades and roofs of the castle and the entrance to the cistern have been listed as historical monuments since 2005.  

FLOIRAC

A suburb of Bordeaux, on the right bank of the Garonne, Floirac is at the centre of the Bordeaux-Euratlantique project, which should transform the agglomeration by 2030. The town is already home to the Arkea Arena, the largest concert hall in the region, designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti. Since its opening in 2018, the arena has already hosted the world's biggest stars, including Depeche Mode, Elton John, Shakira, Sting and Lara Fabian. Floirac is also home to the Bordeaux Observatory and a public park, Parc Castel, which extends around the château of the same name, which was listed as a historical monument in 2021. Floirac is also the birthplace of yachtsman Raphaël Dinelli, who was involved in an accident during his first two Vendée Globe races before completing his solo round-the-world voyage on two occasions.  

Bordeaux Observatory
Built: 1878
History: the astronomical and meteorological observatory of Bordeaux was created by decree in 1878, at the same time as those of Lyon and Besançon. Its foundation was entrusted to Georges Rayet, physicist and astronomer at the Paris Observatory from 1863 to 1874. Most of its activities were devoted to astronomical measurements and the study of radio waves. Recently, it has conducted research on the Earth's atmosphere. For this purpose it houses four telescopes, a 60 cm telescope and two radio telescopes. It also has a library containing complete works by authors such as Copernicus, Galileo and Newton.
Listed as: Historical Monument since 2010.