Saint-Symphorien: Art, History and Nature

In Saint-Symphorien, architectural and industrial history, contemporary art and wetlands come together as distinct themes for a stay. If you are looking for a hotel here, you can choose your destination based on which of these aspects interests you most: the Église Saint-Symphorien, cultural projects, or landscapes and trails.

Church and local history

The main building phase of the Église Saint-Symphorien took place in the 16th century. It has been listed as a historic monument since 21 December 1925. Its construction period and later protected status are two different points of reference for the town’s history. The 19th-century railway workshops also form part of Saint-Symphorien’s historical character. They are considered one of the few examples of their kind in Europe. The church and workshops thus represent different aspects of the town’s history: sacred architecture on the one hand, and its industrial past on the other.

Contemporary art and cultural work

Since 2009, the Forêt d’Art Contemporain has aimed to create a regional approach to producing and presenting contemporary art in a rural setting. The project hosts artists in residence, presents their work and develops a trail featuring changing artworks. Residencies, exhibitions and the trail are distinct aspects of the project.

Another named work is “7 Comètes à venir” by David Boeno, created in 2014. The installation invites visitors to take a walk through a park lined with seven tree trunks. The angles of their cuts are based on the calculated elliptical orbits of seven comets. This translates the cosmic theme into the form of the trunks: the comets’ orbits provide the conceptual basis for the angles of the cuts.

The Chalet Mauriac is also associated with cultural work. The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region has commissioned ALCA to plan and run the writing residencies there. The chalet is now owned by the region and opens its doors to cultural professionals working in books, film and new forms of writing. This focus is aimed at creatives; it describes the chalet’s cultural role.

Wetlands and trails

The Lagunes de Saint-Symphorien are a 33.98-hectare ZNIEFF natural area. They are also designated as a site under the Habitats Directive (ZSC, SIC, PSIC) and lie within a Regional Natural Park. The Hure rises within the municipality and is a tributary of the Ciron.

The “Balades à roulettes – Chalet François Mauriac” route follows boardwalks from which you can see wetlands and the La Hure stream. A separate route description covers a hiking route in Saint-Symphorien: it follows a section of the Mios to Bazas cycle path. This runs along the former railway line of the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer Economiques. The routes have different highlights: one focuses on wetlands and the stream, while the other follows a former railway line. If you plan to take the hiking route, check current trail conditions before setting out.

When choosing your destination, you can weigh these highlights according to whether you are particularly interested in contemporary art, local history or the landscape.

Discover more destinations: Brunet, Biganos, Branne, Saint-Seurin-De-Cadourne, Cestas, Baron, Le Temple, Saint-Laurent-Des-Combes

For the overview of the wider travel region: Gironde.