Soulac-sur-Mer, Coastal commune in Gironde, France
Soulac-sur-Mer is a commune on the Atlantic coast in the Gironde department, known for its bathing beaches and its Romanesque basilica. The settlement stretches along a narrow coastal strip bordered by dunes and pine forest.
Benedictine monks founded an abbey here in the 11th century after an earlier Roman settlement had vanished beneath the sea. The church was later engulfed by sand and only excavated again in the mid-19th century.
The name Fin-des-Terres refers to the exposed position at the western edge of the Gironde peninsula, where the coast faces the Atlantic directly. The long sandy beach with its waves attracts many visitors in summer who come to swim or ride boards across the water.
The basilica stands in the town center and is open most days, while the beach sections remain freely accessible. In high summer the streets and parking areas fill quickly, so an early morning visit is advisable.
Around the basilica stand many Belle Époque villas that recall the time when wealthy families from Bordeaux spent their summer holidays here. The wooden facades and turrets of these houses still shape the townscape along the quieter lanes.
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