The Bastide of Geaune

We take you for a short walk and a coffee or lunch in the pretty little bastide of Geaune ! In Tursan, in the middle of the vineyards, it is a place with the charm of yesteryear, one of its new towns founded in the Middle Ages (1318) which follows a well-organized plan with a central square with arcades conducive to commerce . On the way !

Photos from the report: Landes Guide

A typical bastide, a new town!

Between Bordeaux and the Pyrenees, Geaune was a fortified place with reinforced entrance gates to preserve its 25 lots of homes and businesses, separated by very perpendicular and straight streets. We were well organized at the time! 12 hectares, it is a very small bastide but ideally placed so that its central square hosting the market (which takes place on Thursday morning), can be lively and well frequented.

In the central square you can see covered arcades. Whether you go to the large bastides of Aquitaine or to this pretty bastide of Tursan, the architectural rule is always the same: the ground floors are dedicated to commerce, they are stalls, or workshops and upstairs we found the houses. Even today, there are a few shops in the bastide and friendly cafes and restaurants.

You can obtain a map of Geaune from a tourist office, to make a visit and discover its main heritage elements. You will pass by the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church built in the ^15th century, on the outskirts of the city, no it is no longer in the middle! This is what marks the main difference between the older villages and the bastides, the religious power is a little eccentric... The church was restored in the ^19th century after having suffered ransacks. The Malta Tower is another major building, which is estimated to predate the construction of the new city. The Medieval Garden is located at the foot of the Augustinian convent, distinguished by its large bell tower 25m high. It should be noted that today it is a school.

The Tursan wine region

Geaune is located in the middle of the Tursan wine vines. You can also visit the Cave des Vignerons de Tursan to find out more ! A cooperative which promotes the AOC, supports winegrowers and organizes the marketing of wine. You can do tastings to get to know its wines better. Vine cultivation dates back to the Middle Ages in the region. Tursan wine has held up well in the face of vine diseases and is appreciated as far away as England, Spain and the Netherlands.

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