Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park (
French: ''Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne'') is a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
of pine forest, wetland and oceanic coastline located in the
Landes de Gascogne
The Landes de Gascogne (in Gascon, classic spelling ''las Lanas de Gasconha'', Fébusienne spelling ''leus Lanes de Gascougne''), or Gascony Moors, is a natural region of France of nearly .
It extends over three departments: Gironde, Landes and ...
natural region of
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by t ...
in southwestern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
History
The lands comprising the park were largely unpopulated throughout history. The roughly triangular area of the modern-day park was originally an inland sea which had receded, leaving a mostly infertile depression which did not attract human habitation. Largescale public works helped drain, clear, and reforest the area during the nineteenth century but the transformation was limited. By the mid-twentieth century, government attention had turned to protecting the natural environment.
Geography
Straddling the
departments of
Landes
''Landes'', or ''Lanas'' in Gascon, means moorland or heath.
''Landes'' and ''Lanas'' come from the Latin ''plānus'' meaning “‘flat, even, level, plain’”. They are therefore cognate with the English plain (and plane), the Spanish word '' ...
and
Gironde
Gironde ( US usually, , ; oc, Gironda, ) is the largest department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,62 ...
, ''Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne'' comprises the center of the massive
forest of Landes. The park extends southeast from
Arcachon Bay
Arcachon Basin or alternatively Arcachon Bay ( French: ''Bassin d'Arcachon'') is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest coast of France, situated in Pays de Buch between the Côte d'Argent and the Côte des Landes, in the region of Aquitain ...
in
Pays de Buch
Pays de Buch (, literally ''Land of Buch'') is one of several areas that make up the Landes forest in France. It extends across seventeen towns around the Arcachon Bay and the valley of the Eyre River. The village of Porge is at the north end a ...
and encompasses the entire
Leyre River. The park was originally conceived in 1970 with a total area of ,
but has been increased to a modern total area of 315,300 hectares.
[
As of 2011, the park holds 41 small ]communes
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, ...
with approximately 60,000 inhabitants.
Member communes
The forty-one member communes are:
* Argelouse
*Audenge
Audenge (; oc, Audenja) is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.
Geography
The town is situated on the Arcachon Bay (''Bassin d'Arcachon''), between Lanton, Biganos and Marcheprime.
Population
Inhabitants of Audenge are ...
* Belhade
* Belin-Beliet
*Biganos
Biganos (; oc, Viganòs) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
This commune has two harbours.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gironde department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gasco ...
*Bourideys
Bourideys is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gironde department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Pa ...
*Brocas
Brocas (; oc, Brocars) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Landes department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gascogne Region ...
* Callen
*Captieux
Captieux (; oc, Capsiuts) is a commune of Southwestern France, located in the Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Aquitaine).
It lies near the border with the Landes and the Lot-et-Garonne departments.
The commune is in the e ...
*Commensacq
Commensacq (; oc, Comensac) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Landes department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gascogne Re ...
*Garein
Garein (; oc, Garenh) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
References
See also
*Communes of the Landes department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gasc ...
*Hostens
Hostens ( Gascon: ''Ostens'') is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France. It is around 35 km south of Bordeaux.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gironde department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
...
*Labouheyre
Labouheyre (; oc, La Bohèira) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Landes department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gascogne Regional Natu ...
*Labrit
Labrit () is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France. As of 2018, it has a population of 861, Making it the least populous Canton seat of all Departments in France.
It was the original seat of the lords o ...
*Le Barp
Le Barp (; oc-gsc, Lo Barp) is a municipality in the Southwest of France that has 5410 inhabitants (April 2018). It is located in the Department of Gironde in the Region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is also located in the Landes Forest, on the terri ...
*Lencouacq
Lencouacq (; oc-gsc, Lencoac) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France.
Transport
Between 1907 and 1934, Lencouacq was the terminus of the long gauge Chemin de fer Économiques Forestiers des Land ...
*Le Teich
Le Teich () is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
In this commune, there is a park created in order to observe birds without putting them in danger.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gironde d ...
* Le Tuzan
* Le Sen
*Louchats
Louchats (; oc-gsc, Loishats) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gironde department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gascogn ...
* Lucmau
*Luglon
Luglon (; oc, Luclong) is a Communes of France, commune in the Landes (department), Landes Departments of France, department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Landes department
*Parc naturel régional des ...
*Lugos
Lugos is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gironde department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park ...
*Luxey
Luxey (; oc, Lucsèir) is a commune in the Landes department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Southwestern France.
See also
*Communes of the Landes department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park (Fr ...
*Mano
Mano may refer to:
People
* Mano people, an ethnic group in Liberia
* Mano (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname
* Mano (Mozambican footballer) (born 1984), real name Celso Halilo de Abdul
* Mano (Portuguese footballer) ...
*Marcheprime
Marcheprime (; oc, Marcha Prima) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gironde department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gascog ...
*Mios
Mios (; oc-gsc, Miòs) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
Its inhabitants are called ''Miossais''.
Sights
The Saint Brice chapel has a bell dating from 1700 classed as a '' monumen ...
*Moustey
Moustey (; oc, Mostèirs e Viganon) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
Gallery
Moustey Biganon mairie.jpg, Town hall
Moustey 2 églises.jpg, Churches
File:Moustey SM porte cagot ...
*Muret
Muret (; in Gascon Occitan ''Murèth'') is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the Occitanie region of southwestern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Muretains''.
It is an outer suburb of the city o ...
* Origne
*Pissos
Pissos (; oc, Pissòs) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Landes department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gascogne Region ...
*Sabres
A sabre is a type of sword.
Sabre, Sabres, saber, or SABRE may also refer to:
Weapons and weapon systems
* Sabre (fencing), a sporting sword
* Sabre (tank), a modern British armoured reconnaissance vehicle
* Chinese sabre or ''dao'', a variety ...
* Salles
* Saint-Léger-de-Balson
*Saint-Magne
Saint-Magne (; oc-gsc, Sent Manhe) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gironde department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gasc ...
* Saint-Symphorien
* Saugnacq-et-Muret
*Solférino
Solférino (; oc, Solferino) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
It was created in 1863 by Napoléon III by uniting several neighboring communities. It is named after the Battle of Solferino.
P ...
*Sore
Sore may refer to:
* Ulcer (dermatology), a sore on the skin or a mucous membrane
* Sore, a mild pain or ache
* ''Sore'' (album), by Buzzov*en
* Sore (band), an Indonesian rock band
* Sore, Landes, a village in the Landes département of France
* ...
* Trensacq
*Vert
Vert or Verts may refer to:
* Vert (heraldry), the colour green in heraldry
* Vert (music producer) (born 1972), pseudonym of Adam Butler, an English music producer
* Vert (river), in southern France
* Vert (sport), a competition in extreme vers ...
Major features
The park maintains a bird sanctuary on Arcachon Bay, the ''parc ornithologique du Teich''. Throughout the year, over 300,000 migratory birds take refuge in its wetlands.[
At several sites throughout the park, there are sections of the regional museum, ''Ḗcomusée de la Grande Lande'', which host exhibitions about the history, development and maintenance of the natural lands. The museum also organizes various events focused on Gascon lifestyles and traditions.][
The local villages also organize their own events. Thousands of visitors come every year to the Flower Show at ]Garein
Garein (; oc, Garenh) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
References
See also
*Communes of the Landes department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gasc ...
, an annual weekend event which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2010.
Administration
The park is administered by a joint union of local authorities in the ''Syndicat Mixte du Parc Naturel Régional des Landes de Gascogne'', a deliberative assembly of 45 members. The union includes public and private representatives of Gironde, Landes, and Aquitaine.
Park emblem
The park's unique emblem is derived from a woodcut, still visible today, made on the beam of an old building in Luxey
Luxey (; oc, Lucsèir) is a commune in the Landes department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Southwestern France.
See also
*Communes of the Landes department
*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne
Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park (Fr ...
. The scene depicts a leaping fox frustrated in its hunt: a solid horizontal line separates him from the hen who strolls serenely in the sun. The situation was a familiar one in the Gascony moors where generations of farmers built their livestock shelters on stilts.
See also
* List of regional natural parks of France
A regional nature park or regional natural park (french: parc naturel régional or PNR) is a public establishment in France between local authorities and the Cabinet of France, French national government covering an inhabited rural area of outstan ...
References
External links
Official park site
French Ministry of Agriculture: ''Report on Landes de Gascogne 1998-1999-2000 and effects of the storm of 27/12/1999''
{{Authority control
Regional natural parks of France
Geography of Gironde
Geography of Landes (department)
Protected areas established in 1970
Tourist attractions in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Tourist attractions in Landes (department)
Tourist attractions in Gironde