However in 1857, Paris decided that the region was to be planted with trees, mainly pines, and the people employed in producing timber and resin, the latter being in great demand for the new chemical industries. The demand for resin has declined but the trees remain. Tree sapping the pines for resin, still done on a small scale. The weather was hot without being the searing hot of Provence and we either walked or cycled along the level, shady forest roads in the mornings and after the heat of the day we often used to take a trip further afield. Although tourism is a major industry in the south-west, people tend to be drawn to the coast and the larger towns, leaving the rest of the Landes, one of the least densely populated parts of Europe, wonderfully quiet and undisturbed.
Some people go to the Landes for energetic pastimes like walking, cycling and water sports.
There a threee famous museums near the small town of Sabres. At the terminus there's a caf , shop and information centre. We had an English-speaking guide who showed us around the site. This was a real hands-on experience. We saw the watermill and the miller's house and bought bread just as it was produced a century and a half ago.