Soorts-Hossegor

Soorts-Hossegor (sɔʁts ɔsgɔʁ; Sòrts e Òssagòr) is a commune in the French department of Landes, New Aquitaine, southwestern France, 20 km (12 miles) north of Biarritz. It is a well known seaside resort that is renowned for its surfing. The city's economy is centered around surfing. Its inhabitants are called Hossegoriens. In 1913, the town associated the toponym of Hossegor, from the name of its marine lake, with its original name of Soorts. The root of Soorts is probably close to that of Sorde, the verb gascon sórder or sordar, sourdre, meaning "where there are sources". Related names are Sor (Ariège, Sort) and Sort-en-Chalosse (Landes) from the same Gascon etymon. The origin of Hossegor is more obscure: it may be an Aquitain or Basque name to be attached to the hydronyms osse and the adjective gorri, meaning "dry water". Hossegor became a seaside resort in the early twentieth century. It is located between the cities of Biarritz and Arcachon. Initially, it attracted wealthy visitors from large cities like Paris. Some noteworthy visitors to Soorts-Hossegor have included J.H. Rosny in 1903 and Paul Margueritte in 1909. Other personalities later joined them, like Charles Derennes in 1913, then Maxime Leroy, Gaston Chérau, Pierre Benoit, Tristan Dereme and Leon Blum in 1920. After the Second World War, the town attracted a wider selection of visitors, including industrialists, academics and doctors. From the 1920s, real estate programs increased the arrival of tourists in the resort. Some architects of the time became famous and embarked on many architectural projects. For example, in the early 1930s, the Gomez brothers built the Place des Landais: it was the first development of the waterfront in the town. This seafront was unique at the time. Indeed, the two architects built villas "en bande" (in a row) in the néo-Basque architectural style. Many hotels were built at that time, such as Les Hortensias du Lac, a four-star luxury hotel with an extraordinary view of the marine lake, and the Mercedes, a three-star hotel near the city center overlooking the canal.