Mont-de-Marsan is the capital of the Landes department in southwest France, a small city at the meeting point of two rivers in the flat pine forests of the Landes. It is best known for its summer Fêtes de la Madeleine, a week-long festival in July featuring bull-running through the streets, bandas, and course landaise — the local form of bull-leaping that is acrobatic rather than bloody.
The town has a pleasant old centre with medieval towers, a sculpture trail along the riverbanks, and the Despiau-Wlérick museum of early twentieth-century figurative sculpture, which is surprisingly good for a town this size. Mont-de-Marsan is also a centre for foie gras production, and the local markets reflect the rich gastronomy of the Landes. The vast pine forests and sandy trails of the surrounding countryside are good for cycling.