Villeneuve-De-Marsan can be planned around specific differences in time and place: Wednesday sets the scene for the market and a guided tour, while the routes offer different ways to explore the area. Its history also spans the bastide, buildings and art from several centuries. When planning your stay, you can therefore first decide whether local history, a particular day of the week or choosing between the routes is your priority.
Bastide history and buildings
In 1320, Villeneuve-De-Marsan became a bastide in the Vicomté de Marsan. The Church of Saint-Hippolyte brings the town’s history into a later period of construction: it was built in the 14th century from Languedoc bricks. A fresco dating from 1529 depicts the life and martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The church is open to the public. The building period and the subject of the fresco thus provide two different points of reference in time for visiting this building.
The Arènes Camille Couralet also combine a distinctive architectural history with a cultural function. Built in 1911 in a refined Moorish style inspired by Andalusia, they are a venue for Course Landaise. Those interested in architecture will find a different way to explore the town’s history here than at the church: at Saint-Hippolyte, the focus is on the medieval building and the fresco, while at the Arènes it is on the year they were built, 1911, and their stated role as an event venue.
The town’s cultural history also includes the former cinema, L’Alambic des Arts. In 2013, it was converted for the creation and performance of live shows.
Wednesday: market and guided tour
The Marché de Villeneuve takes place every Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. A guided tour of the Arènes Camille Couralet is also held at 10 a.m. on market day. Both times therefore fall on Wednesday morning, although they relate to different activities: the market spans several hours, while the guided tour has a specific start time. If you are considering spending a Wednesday here, these details may help you plan your travel dates. Market times may change, as may seasonal visiting hours. Check both locally before you travel.
Routes with different features
The Voie Verte du Marsan et de l’Armagnac runs 16 kilometres from Mont-de-Marsan to Villeneuve-De-Marsan. The Scandibérique passes through the town. These provide different points of reference for finding your way: the Voie Verte specifies both endpoints and the route length, while the Scandibérique is described as passing through Villeneuve. Villeneuve-De-Marsan has a service station on the Scandibérique. As the services available may change, check locally before you travel.
The shorter routes also differ in how they are described. The marked Circuit des lavoirs is a short urban loop in Villeneuve-De-Marsan. The Route des Etangs, by contrast, passes by ponds scattered throughout the Villeneuvois area. This gives you two distinct options: a short loop in town and a route associated with the local pond landscape.
The 16-kilometre Voie Verte, the Scandibérique route, the short urban walk and the route through the pond landscape all offer specific and distinct starting points for exploring the area.
Discover more destinations: Maylis, Lesperon, LĂ©vignacq, Saint-Jean-De-Marsacq, Saugnac-Et-Cambran, BĂ©nesse-Maremne, Pissos, Saint-Lon-les-Mines.
For the broader travel overview: Landes.
