Aire-sur-l'Adour travel guide
Visit Aire-sur-l'Adour (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France)
Photo Gallery Book a visitAire-sur-l'Adour is a small town at the south-east edge of the Landes department, in the region known as Tursan and in south-west France.
A settlement has existed here since roman times although it is only a trace of the name that still exists: the roman name was Atura, which later gave rise to Adour.
Explore Aire-sur-l'Adour
France This Way review: although Aire-sur-l'Adour and the surrounding area are not of great interest to visitors, it is a pleasant town that makes a good detour if you are travelling through the area: it will take you less than an hour to explore the town
The part of the town of interest to visitors is on the south side of the Adour river: you will find a large parking area at the south end of the bridge, and the Aire-sur-l'Adour tourist office is also here. You will find several tables along the edge of the river with a view of the bridge, and large trees providing shade - so a good place for a picnic.
The town extends south from here along rue Gambetta and rue Carnot, where you will find lots of small shops.
On rue Gambetta you will reach the principal historic monument in Aire-sur-l'Adour, the cathedral Saint John the Baptist. No longer a cathedral (although it retains the name), this was built from the 11th century to the 14th century and incorporates roman style elements and gothic style elements.
It is true that the cathedral facade - built in the 13th century - is rather austere, although the stripes of alternating brick and stone and the gothic style entrance provide some interest and there is an attractive tower just behind the left side of the facade.
Inside the cathedral, the brightly painted dome above the altar and the patterns on the ceiling add a vibrant touch to the building. The orangery was added to the cathedral in the 17th century and is now used for temporary exhibitions.
Elsewhere in Aire-sur-l'Adour you will see a 19th century grain hall, octaganal in shape and surrounded by arcades, the 17th century town hall (although only used as a town hall since the early 20th century) and two or three other houses of interest.
If you have time to wander further, a few hundred metres further south-west along rue Felix Despagnet there is a second church in Aire sur l'Adour, the Church of Sainte-Quitterie, that dates from the 12th - 15th centuries and is rather more attractive because of its three-level tower, pierced by arches
The Tursan region - partly in the Landes department and partly in the Gers department - is perhaps best known because of the wines produced and sold under the same name, so be sure to sample a bottle if you are staying in this part of the Landes.
Attractions nearby
To be honest most visitors to Aire-sur-l'Adour will be on their way somewhere else, perhaps either travelling via Pau to reach the pyrenees or towards the north to explore the villages of Gascony such as Saint-Justin and Fources.
You can find more travel ideas in the Landes guide and the Aquitaine guide.
Photos of Aire-sur-l'Adour
Click any picture to start the gallery
.jpg "church-interior (1)")
.jpg "church-interior (2)")
.jpg "church-interior (3)")
.jpg "houses (1)")
.jpg "houses (2)")
Arrange a visit to Aire-sur-l'Adour
Hotels in Aire-sur-l'Adour
Booking.com: best prices
For great prices on car hire throughout France and Corsica please visit our recommended partner at RentalCars.com
Map of Aire-sur-l'Adour and places nearby
Visit near Aire-sur-l'Adour with France This Way reviews
Mont-de-Marsan
Not usually thought of as a tourist destination, Mont-de-Marsan has some interesting monuments and attractive river scenery and merits a visit when you are in the region
Mont-de-Marsan guide
Mauvezin d'Armagnac
Mauvezin d'Armagnac is a very small village in the Landes with good examples of the local styles of architecture
Mauvezin d'Armagnac guide
Labastide d'Armagnac
Labastide d'Armagnac is a 13th century bastide town that has retained many of its historic buildings
Labastide d'Armagnac guide
Saint-Justin
Saint-Justin is a peaceful bastide town in the Landes department with an authentic medieval historic centre
Saint-Justin guide
Cathedral Saint-Luperc, Eauze
The Cathedral Saint-Luperc is a 16th century cathedral in Eauze, in the style Gothic Meridionale
Cathedral Saint-Luperc, Eauze guide... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Landes
Address: Aire-sur-l'Adour, Mont-de-Marsan, Aquitaine, 40800, France || GPS coordinates: latitude 43.70388, longitude -0.261666
Plan your visit to Aire-sur-l'Adour, Landes
Sightseeing & tourist attractions to visit nearby
- Aire sur l'Adour église St Quitterie (monuments on French pilgrim routes): heritage site
- Palmeraie du Sarthou: remarkable garden (23 km)
- Abbaye de St Sever (monuments on French pilgrim routes): heritage site (26 km)
- Hagetmau: ville fleurie 4* (27 km)
- Jardins du château de Viven: remarkable garden (28 km)
- Mont-de-Marsan: ville fleurie 4* (28 km)
- Jardin du château de Momas: remarkable garden (32 km)
- Montreal-du-Gers: most beautiful village (46 km)
- Pau: ville fleurie 4* (46 km)
- Fources: most beautiful village (51 km)
- Beaumont sur l'Osee pont d'Artigues (monuments on French pilgrim routes): heritage site (52 km)
- Larressingle: most beautiful village (53 km)
The French version of this page is at Aire-sur-l'Adour (Francais)