La Teste-de-Buch
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La Teste-de-Buch (; , ; "La Teste-of-
Buch Buch (the German word for book or a modification of the German word '' Buche'' for beech) may refer to: People * Buch (surname), a list of people with the surname Buch - mostly, in India or abroad as of Indian origin. Geography Germany * Buch ...
") is a coastal commune in the
Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.
department in the
Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metropolitan France. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes ...
region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
in Southwestern
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.Commune de La Teste-de-Buch (33529)
INSEE
Until 13 June 1994, it was officially known simply as La Teste. The commune is located on the south shore of Arcachon Bay (Bassin d'Arcachon) and on the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
coast of France, lying in the southwestern part of Gironde, on the departmental border with Landes. It is the eighth-largest commune in
metropolitan France Metropolitan France ( or ), also known as European France (), is the area of France which is geographically in Europe and chiefly comprises #Hexagon, the mainland, popularly known as "the Hexagon" ( or ), and Corsica. This collective name for the ...
in geographical area at 180.20 km2 (69.58 sq mi). It is the largest and most populated of the four communes that make up the
Communauté d'agglomération Bassin d'Arcachon Sud Communauté d'agglomération Bassin d'Arcachon Sud is the ''communauté d'agglomération'', an intercommunal structure, covering the area south of the Arcachon Bay. It is located in the Gironde department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, south ...
(COBAS), which coincides with the
urban unit In France, an urban unit () is a statistical area defined by INSEE, the French national statistics office, for the measurement of contiguously built-up areas. According to the INSEE definition , an "unité urbaine" is a commune alone or a grou ...
(agglomeration) of La Teste-de-Buch-Arcachon, population 67,563 (2018). La Teste-de-Buch proper had a population of 26,269 as of 2020. La Teste-de-Buch is famous for the Dune of Pilat (Dune du Pilat), the highest sand dune in Europe. It is also the site of a fictional battle during the Napoleonic wars depicted in '' Sharpe's Siege'' by
Bernard Cornwell Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his long-running series of novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also writ ...
.


Geography

La Teste-de-Buch is located in the department of
Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.
, in the middle of the Landes forest, and south of Arcachon Bay. It is the capital of the Pays de Buch. Neighbouring communes are Gujan-Mestras to the east,
Arcachon Arcachon (; ) is a commune in the southwestern French department of Gironde. It is a popular seaside resort on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux, in the Landes forest. It has a sandy beach and a mild climate said to be favourable for p ...
to the northwest, and Biscarosse and Sanguinet to the south. The Dune of Pilat is a famous landmark on the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
coast, situated in the western corner of the commune. The seaside resort of Pyla-sur-Mer, the village of Cazaux, the bird refuge and sandbank of Arguin are also part of the town. The Étang de Cazaux et de Sanguinet is in the southeast corner, astride the departments of Gironde and Landes. The rest of the commune area consists of old dunes, where the natural forest has changed little over centuries. During World War I, an airfield was created near Cazaux for airplane pilots training (fighters and bombers). Most of the American volunteers pilots of the
Lafayette Escadrille The La Fayette Escadrille () was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the History of the Armée de l'Air (1909–1942)#World War I (1914–1918), ''Aéronautique Mil ...
came to the "Camp de Cazaux" to finish their training as war pilots. When the U.S entered the war, the 36th Aero Squadron was based here.


Climate

La Teste-de-Buch features an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
(''Cfb'') under the Köppen system, closely bordering on a
warm-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
(''Csb'') due to the lack of rain in july compared to november, the wettest month of the year. Winters are cool and wet, while summers are hot but bearable. However, cold snaps in winter or heat spikes in summer are rare but not unknown.


Demographics


Economy

From the medieval period until the late 1980s, the municipality thrived on resin exploitation. Today, the primary economic activities of the municipality include tourism, predominantly, along with oyster farming and shipbuilding. Several businesses headquartered in La Teste-de-Buch include, for example, the engine manufacturer Nanni Diesel, the ice cream parlor Ô Sorbet d'amour, and the coffee retailer MaxiCoffee. The municipality has a delegation from the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry.


Twin towns – sister cities

La Teste-de-Buch is twinned with: * Binghamton, United States * Chipiona, Spain *
Curepipe Curepipe (), also known as ''La Ville-Lumière'' (The City of Light), is a town in Mauritius, located mainly in the Plaines Wilhems District. Its eastern part lies in the Moka District. The town is administered by the Municipal Council of Cure ...
, Mauritius * Schwaigern, Germany


See also

* Arcachon - La Teste-de-Buch Airport * Pays de Buch *
Communes of the Gironde department The following is a list of the 534 communes of the Gironde department of France. The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2025):Forest of Customary Rights of La Teste-de-Buch


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Testedebuch Communes of Gironde