La Teste-de-Buch
Encyclopedia
La Teste-de-Buch is a commune
in the Gironde
department in Aquitaine
in southwestern France
.
It is located on the south shore of Arcachon Bay
, lying in the southwestern part of Gironde.
It is the largest of four communes that comprise the Communauté d'agglomération du Bassin d'Arcachon Sud, a small metropolitan area
of 54,204 population (1999 census
). It is the eighth-largest commune in metropolitan France
in geographical area.
La Teste-de-Buch is famous for The Great Dune of Pyla
. It is also the site of a fictional battle during the Napoleonic wars depicted in Sharpe's Siege by Bernard Cornwell
.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Gironde
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
department in Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
in southwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
It is located on the south shore of Arcachon Bay
Arcachon Bay
Arcachon Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest coast of France, situated between the Côte d'Argent and the Côte des Landes, in the region of Aquitaine. The bay covers an area of 150 km² at high tide and 40 km² at low tide...
, lying in the southwestern part of Gironde.
It is the largest of four communes that comprise the Communauté d'agglomération du Bassin d'Arcachon Sud, a small metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
of 54,204 population (1999 census
INSEE
INSEE is the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. It collects and publishes information on the French economy and society, carrying out the periodic national census. Located in Paris, it is the French branch of Eurostat, European Statistical System...
). It is the eighth-largest commune in metropolitan France
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France is the part of France located in Europe. It can also be described as mainland France or as the French mainland and the island of Corsica...
in geographical area.
La Teste-de-Buch is famous for The Great Dune of Pyla
The Great Dune of Pyla
The Great Dune of Pyla is the tallest sand dune in Europe. It is located in La Teste-de-Buch in the Arcachon Bay area, France, 60 km from Bordeaux....
. It is also the site of a fictional battle during the Napoleonic wars depicted in Sharpe's Siege by Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell OBE is an English author of historical novels. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe which were adapted into a series of Sharpe television films.-Biography:...
.
Geography
- Located in the department of GirondeGirondeFor the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
, in the middle of the Landes forestLandes forestThe Landes forest or the Landes of Gascony , in the historic Gascony region of southwestern France now known as Aquitaine, is the largest maritime-pine forest in Europe...
. Capital of the Pays de BuchPays de BuchPays de Buch is one of several areas that make up the Landes forest in France. It extends across seventeen towns around the Arcachon Bay and the valley of the Eyre River...
. - Located south of Arcachon BayArcachon BayArcachon Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest coast of France, situated between the Côte d'Argent and the Côte des Landes, in the region of Aquitaine. The bay covers an area of 150 km² at high tide and 40 km² at low tide...
between Gujan-Mestras and Biscarosse - Surrounds the city of ArcachonArcachonArcachon is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.It is a popular bathing location on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux in the Landes forest...
, the old hamlet of La Teste-du-Buch - The Great Dune of PylaThe Great Dune of PylaThe Great Dune of Pyla is the tallest sand dune in Europe. It is located in La Teste-de-Buch in the Arcachon Bay area, France, 60 km from Bordeaux....
, found in the northwest corner of the town, extends south into the ocean beaches and is very popular in the summer months. - Cazaux Lake is in the southeast corner, astride the departments of Gironde and Landes
- The rest of the town consists of old dunes, where the natural forest has changed little over centuries. This is one of the few natural forests in the Landes forest.
- The seaside resort of Pyla-sur-Mer, the village of Cazaux, the bird refuge and sandbank of Arguin are also part of the town.
Population
Internation relations
La Teste-de-Buch is twinned with- Binghamton, New YorkBinghamton, New YorkBinghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, since 1987. - SchwaigernSchwaigernSchwaigern is a town in the district of Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 12 km west of Heilbronn.-Neighbouring municipalities:...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, since 2004.
See also
- Arcachon - La Teste-de-Buch Airport
- Pays de BuchPays de BuchPays de Buch is one of several areas that make up the Landes forest in France. It extends across seventeen towns around the Arcachon Bay and the valley of the Eyre River...
- Communes of the Gironde department
External links
- Official website (in French)