Mont-de-Marsan was another of the practical stops that naturally become part of a long journey by motorhome. We had not planned a proper sightseeing visit to the city; what we needed that day was simply to do some shopping and restock the motorhome before continuing south. We therefore stopped in Mont-de-Marsan, bought the food and supplies we needed and then carried on with our journey. Even when we do not have time to explore a place properly, these stops are an important part of travelling for several weeks, and they often take us into towns that we might otherwise never have seen at all.
Mont-de-Marsan is the prefecture of the Landes department and is considerably larger and busier than many of the villages through which we had been travelling. The city was founded during the twelfth century by Pierre de Marsan and developed around a fortified settlement strategically positioned where two rivers, the Midou and the Douze, meet to form the Midouze. This location made Mont-de-Marsan an important river port for centuries, with goods from the Landes countryside transported along the waterways towards the Adour and eventually the Atlantic coast.
Although our own stop was mainly for shopping, the centre still has traces of this long history. Among them are the medieval houses of Rue Maubec and the Donjon Lacataye, a fortified medieval building that has become one of the city’s most recognisable monuments. Later periods also left their mark, particularly after Mont-de-Marsan became the administrative capital of the Landes. Neoclassical public buildings, nineteenth-century developments and a number of later villas now stand alongside the surviving medieval architecture.
Water remains one of the most distinctive elements of Mont-de-Marsan. The confluence of the Midou and Douze lies close to the centre, while the Midouze continues through the city between tree-lined banks. Mont-de-Marsan is also particularly associated with sculpture and has developed an extensive collection of works displayed both in museums and throughout public spaces, giving a cultural dimension to a city that we experienced mainly from its much more everyday side.
For us, Mont-de-Marsan was therefore not one of the major sightseeing stops of the journey. We came because we needed groceries, stocked up the motorhome and continued on our route. It may sound like an insignificant part of travelling, but these practical stops are just as much a part of a long motorhome journey as castles, museums and medieval villages. After days spent moving through small rural communities, Mont-de-Marsan gave us the chance to find everything we needed before returning to the road and continuing towards the Pyrenees.