MIMIZAN

'Mimizan' is a commune of France, located in the ''département'', of Landes (40), in the ''région'' of Aquitaine. Its inhabitants are called ''Mimizannais''. The town splits into Mimizan-Bourg (city center) and Mimizan-Plage (resort).

Contents

Geography

History

Economy

Twin cities

Places and monuments

Personalities linked with the city

Recreational activities

See also

External links

Geography

Mimizan is a seaside resort on the Atlantic Ocean, in South Western France.

History

Mimizan was part of to the former royal province of Gascony. In the Middle-Ages, the city was a stop on a secondary pilgrimage route to Santiago Compostela. The size and beauty of the old church highlights the importance of the place at this time. The city turned into a seaside resort during the Belle Epoque thanks to the railroad connection (no longer exists) and to the growing trend of ocean bathing, beneficial to the health of those suffering from tuberculosis.

Economy

Paper mill (Groupe Gascogne Co), tourism (seaside resort).

Twin cities

Mimizan is the twin city of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, United States.

Places and monuments

The bell tower of the old church is on UNESCO's World Heritage List as part of the Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. The hunting lodge Château of Woolsack was built in 1911 by the British Duke of Westminster.

Personalities linked with the city

Aviator pioneers Assolant, Lefèvre and Lotti linked Old Orchard Beach (USA) to Mimizan (landing on June 16, 1929)on board the Oiseau Canari.
Couturier Coco Chanel was a regular holiday maker at the Château of Woolsack.

Recreational activities

Popular activities include surfing, fishing, cycling, and sun bathing.

See also

★ Communes of the Landes département

External links

★ Museum of Mimizan

★ Tourism in Mimizan