Soorts-Hossegor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Commune of Soorts-Hossegor | |
| Location | |
| Longitude | 01° 25' 36" W |
| Latitude | 43° 39' 34" N |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Aquitaine |
| Department | Landes |
| Arrondissement | Dax |
| Canton | Soustons |
| Mayor | Pierre Dussain (2001-2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Altitude | 0 m–55 m (avg. 10 m) |
| Land area¹ | 14.51 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
3,292 |
| - Density (1999) | 226/km² |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 40304/ 40150 |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 mi² or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| ² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel). | |
 |
|
Soorts-Hossegor is a commune in France. It located is in the Landes département, in the Aquitaine région. It is well known as a seaside resort and surfing center, considered as one of the best surfing locales in the world. The city's economy is centered around surfing.
[edit] History
Until 1310, the mouth of the Adour was in the district of Capbreton-Hossegor. When Vikings attacked the area in 840, they settled immediately in the deserted swamps around the mouth. At that time, the chief of the invaders was Asgeir. He gave his name to Hossegor and also to the next village Angresse.
Asgeir did not stay in Gascony where Björn, his "son", settled, but tried with Pepin II d'Aquitaine to conquer Aquitaine between Garonne and Loire. His main camp on the Charente River also wears his name: Aigre.
Asgeir attacked Rouen on the Seine in 841, joined Toulouse in 844, conquered Saintes in 845, Bordeaux in 848, Périgueux in 849, Rouen again in 850 and many other French cities of Aquitaine like Angoulême, Poitiers, Limoges or Clermont-Ferrand. He was finally killed on the Loire in 863.
Hossegor remained a whale hunting place until the 14th century. Hossegor is a part of the little town of Soorts whose name is also Scandinavian. Soorts has the same origin as Sortosville in Normandy.
[edit] Surfing
Recently Hossegor has become one of the premier surfing locations in Europe, with a series of world class beach breaks such as Gravière, La Nord, Capbreton, La Piste and Seignosse. It supports a thriving nightlife through the summer, centred at the world famous Dicks Sand Bar and Rock Food on La Plage Centrale.
[edit] External links
- Official web site
- Website about Hossegor
- Personal website about Hossegor (in French)
- Practical information
 |
This Aquitaine geographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
