Find your hotel in France, near : forêts landaises - landes de gascogne

The Landes forest, also known as the Landes de Gascogne, covers almost one million hectares, making it the largest artificial forest in Europe.
This immense territory was in fact created by man in the 18th century in order to stop the sands that were gradually invading the land and to purify a soil gorged with stagnant water that was the cause of diseases such as malaria.
Massive plantations of oyats, gorse, broom and maritime pines managed to drain the marshes and stop the advance of the sand.
Very quickly, the pine forest became a real economic player.
Gemmage, which consists of harvesting the resin from the trees by bleeding them, was one of the main activities in the region at the beginning of the 20th century.
This resin was used in the manufacture of candles and in the composition of paints and varnishes.
The exploitation of the wood supplanted the gemmage but one can still see small pots attached to the trunks of pine trees to collect the precious resin.
Even if the Landes forest is industrially exploited, it remains a haven of peace for nature lovers who can observe the local fauna and flora.
The Logis des Landes recommends that you choose a hotel in Villeneuve-de-Marsan, a charming stopover in a former post office, in the heart of a picturesque village in Gascony.