An exposure apparatus configured to expose a substrate via a projection optical system and immersion liquid, comprising: a projection optical system which has a plurality of optical elements held by a lens barrel, a first optical element that is arranged closest to an image plane of the projection optical system of the plurality of optical elements protruding from the lens barrel; a first stage and a second stage that are movable independently of each other on an image plane side of the projection optical system in a two-dimensional plane substantially parallel to the image plane; a driving mechanism configured to move the first stage and the second stage; an alignment system displaced from the projection optical system in a displacement direction for detecting an alignment mark on a substrate held by one of the first and second stages; a liquid immersion mechanism for forming a liquid immersion region of the immersion liquid below the projection optical system, the liquid immersion mechanism having a nozzle member, arranged to surround a side surface of the first optical element, through which the immersion liquid is supplied and through which the supplied immersion liquid is recovered, and a controller (CONT) configured to control the driving mechanism, characterised in that: the controller is configured to control the driving mechanism to move the first stage and the second stage in the displacement direction such that the first stage and the second stage come close to or into contact with each other, and to move the close or contacting first and second stages in the displacement direction within a predetermined region including the position directly beneath the projection optical system so as to move the liquid immersion region between an upper surface of the first stage and an upper surface of the second stage with the liquid being retained between the projection optical system and at least one of the upper surface of the first stage and the upper surface of the second stage. a projection optical system which has a plurality of optical elements held by a lens barrel, a first optical element that is arranged closest to an image plane of the projection optical system of the plurality of optical elements protruding from the lens barrel; a first stage and a second stage that are movable independently of each other on an image plane side of the projection optical system in a two-dimensional plane substantially parallel to the image plane; a driving mechanism configured to move the first stage and the second stage; an alignment system displaced from the projection optical system in a displacement direction for detecting an alignment mark on a substrate held by one of the first and second stages; a liquid immersion mechanism for forming a liquid immersion region of the immersion liquid below the projection optical system, the liquid immersion mechanism having a nozzle member, arranged to surround a side surface of the first optical element, through which the immersion liquid is supplied and through which the supplied immersion liquid is recovered, and a controller (CONT) configured to control the driving mechanism, characterised in that: the controller is configured to control the driving mechanism to move the first stage and the second stage in the displacement direction such that the first stage and the second stage come close to or into contact with each other, and to move the close or contacting first and second stages in the displacement direction within a predetermined region including the position directly beneath the projection optical system so as to move the liquid immersion region between an upper surface of the first stage and an upper surface of the second stage with the liquid being retained between the projection optical system and at least one of the upper surface of the first stage and the upper surface of the second stage. the controller is configured to control the driving mechanism to move the first stage and the second stage in the displacement direction such that the first stage and the second stage come close to or into contact with each other, and to move the close or contacting first and second stages in the displacement direction within a predetermined region including the position directly beneath the projection optical system so as to move the liquid immersion region between an upper surface of the first stage and an upper surface of the second stage with the liquid being retained between the projection optical system and at least one of the upper surface of the first stage and the upper surface of the second stage.