Ychoux brings together traces of its former iron industry and buildings that reveal different chapters of the town’s history. Outdoors, the arboretum offers another way to experience the area: set in a pine forest, it is a place for families to stroll. Those planning activities can choose between exploring historical landmarks and discovering the arboretum and forestry.
Traces of the forges at the Étang des Forges
At Place de l’Église, the tomb monument of the Larreillet family commemorates the area’s former iron industry. The family founded the forges, and the monument preserves this link to local history. The Étang des Forges tells the story in a different way: the remains of 18th-century forges can still be seen there. The artificial pond is also a testament to the Landes’ rich craft history.
A workers’ house and a bread oven can also be seen at the Étang des Forges. The house serves as the campsite reception, and the oven dates from 1819. The remains of the forges thus stand alongside specific architectural details from a later period. The oven’s date provides a distinct point of reference: it is more precise than the forges’ designation as 18th-century structures, but should not be equated with the period when they were founded.
Portal, reliefs and chapel
The Church of Notre-Dame d’Ychoux has a pointed-arch portal that probably dates from the 17th century. Two bas-reliefs depict different religious subjects: one shows the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the other the Triumph of the Archangel Gabriel. Here, it is worth considering the form and imagery together: the pointed arch defines the portal, while the reliefs draw the eye to two specific scenes. The dating is explicitly tentative.
The Chapelle des trois fontaines is another landmark, with a different date. It was built in 1898 under the patronage of Abbé Lage on private land in the hamlet of Lavigne, near the Moulin de Pin stream. The chapel has three fountains and a Stations of the Cross. Its construction date, location in the hamlet and setting are as much part of its description as these features. Together with the church portal, it offers a comparison between two religious sites: at Notre-Dame, the portal’s form and reliefs take centre stage; at the chapel, the fountains and Stations of the Cross do.
Arboretum, route and pump track
The Arboretum d’Ychoux was created in the middle of a pine forest and is a place for families to stroll. The Terra Aventura route “La Complainte du Tulipier” focuses on the arboretum and forestry. The route is listed as taking one hour and covering two kilometres. The walking area and the route offer two different ways to explore the forest theme: the arboretum as a place for a stroll, and a route with a specific focus on the arboretum and forestry.
Another activity is the tarmac Pumptrack d’Ychoux. It is near the SNCF railway station, next to the skatepark, and is open to skateboards, scooters, roller skates and BMX bikes. This clearly distinguishes it from the historical sites and walking area: here, the focus is on the listed wheeled sports. Check the local status of the pump track before you travel.
The historical dates can also be considered side by side: the portal probably dates from the 17th century, the forges from the 18th century, the bread oven dates from 1819, and the chapel was built in 1898. This sequence helps distinguish the landmarks chronologically without combining them into a single building history.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Étienne-D'orthe, Saubrigues, Saint-Geours-De-Maremne, Tarnos, Saint-Pandelon, Garein, Capbreton, Arengosse.
Return to the main travel overview: Landes.
