Mauléon produces half of France's production of espadrilles |
In the XIXth century, Mauléon (capital of Soule) owed its wealth to espadrilles. The town then employed 1,600 sandal makers in about ten different manufacturing plants. Among their biggest customers were Northern miners, who wore out one pair of Mauléon espadrilles per week. Despite the invention of rubber soles, the industry slowly bowed to Asian competition. Today, Mauléon specializes in a specific area of farming: the production of cheese and rearing of Pyrenean milk lambs. |
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Shaped by the passage of the Saison river, Soule is the smallest of the seven Basque provinces. This grazing area is riddled with spectacular gorges and canyons like Kakouetta and Holzarté. As an enclave, Soule has managed to keep its traditions intact. These include "mascarades" and "pastorales", drama in the form of dance. People are also fighting to keep the Basque language (euskara) alive here. |
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The huge Iraty forest spreads over 17,000 hectares on both sides of the border. All kinds of trees grow here, including beech in particular but also pine, yew, elm, ash and maple…
Iraty forest dates back several thousand years, and contains both cromlechs and dolmens. In the XVIIIth century, inroads were made into this superb forest by the French royal navy, an admirer of its timber. Today, the forest belongs to shepherds and walkers. When out walking, you may come across handsome stags.
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Iraty forest is the biggest beech grove in Europe |
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Places to see
