Mont-de-Marsan, Administrative center in Landes, France
Mont-de-Marsan is a prefecture town in the Landes department of southwestern France, where the Douze and Midou rivers join together. The town center spreads between both banks and connects residential neighborhoods with wide promenades along the water.
The town began in the 12th century as a fortified settlement at the meeting of the two rivers. In the 20th century it became home to an important air force base for the French military.
The annual Feria de la Madeleine shapes the town every July with five days of traditional bullfighting and street music. Visitors can feel the mood in the evening cafés and squares decorated after the corridas.
The center is easy to explore on foot, with most shops and restaurants along the main streets near the rivers. The weekly market on Tuesday and Saturday offers regional produce and handmade goods.
The Despiau-Wlérick Museum holds the second largest collection of figurative sculpture in France from the 19th and 20th centuries. The works on display come mainly from artists who were born or worked in this region.
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