Abbey of Arthous Immerse yourself in the heart of medieval history in the Landes region.

A jewel of Romanesque art nestled in the South of the Landes, the Abbey of Arthous is a survivor of history. An architectural curiosity, it is currently revealing itself as a place inhabited over time: from the Premonstratensian canons who founded it in the 12th century, to the peasants and sharecroppers who transformed it into a farm after the Revolution, to the scholars and archaeologists who saved it from ruin in the 20th century, to the scientists and artists who reveal it today.

This historical monument is also home to several archaeological collections : they consist mainly of prehistoric pieces from the shelters of the neighbouring town of Sorde-l'Abbaye, various Gallo-Roman remains and sculpted stones from the 12th and 13th centuries found during the restoration campaigns of the heritage site between 1960 and 2010.

Preserving, documenting, experimenting, promoting, sharing, transmitting… these are the new missions of the abbey which invites you to suspend time, look, listen and discover all these remarkable treasures of the past.

Open to the public from April to October.

Arthous Abbey is open:

• From April 1st to June 30th, from 2pm to 5:30pm, Wednesday to Sunday.
• From July 1st to September 30th, from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday.
• From October 1st to 31st, from 2pm to 5:30pm, Wednesday to Sunday. Closed on May 1st.

PRICES

• Full price: €5;
• Reduced price: €3.50;
• Workshop fee: €3
• Free entry upon presentation of proof for those under 25, people with disabilities, residents of Hastingues, staff of museums in France and tourist offices in the Landes region, and for everyone on the first weekend of each month.

permanent route

• Permanent exhibition – "Once upon a time… Arthous"

Presented in the former canons' cells, this exhibition recounts the successive lives of the heritage site from its foundation to the present day.

• Permanent Exhibition – The “Treasure Room ”

Three remarkable horse sculptures, discovered by archaeologist Robert Arambourou in 1961 during excavations of prehistoric shelters near Sorde-l'Abbaye, have found a home at the abbey. Considered the jewels of the departmental collection, these masterpieces include the largest known Magdalenian sculpture in the round. The exhibition design offers visitors an encounter between original works sculpted more than 17,000 years ago and the contemporary perspective of photographer Claire Artemyz.

• Permanent Exhibition – The “ Sculpture Room ”

This space highlights a collection of restored medieval sculptures from the abbey, including elements from the western portal of the abbey church and the two monumental fragments of the tympanum depicting an Adoration of the Magi.

• Permanent Exhibition – The “Orthe Country Room”

The Pays d'Orthe, the territory where the abbey was founded, can be discovered through chronological, historical and fun modules, from prehistory to the present day.

• Permanent Trail – Discover the abbey while having fun

Permission to touch: reproductions of the sculpted bestiary allow you to guess with your fingertips the Romanesque decor of the old abbey church.

Permit to manipulate: discover the architecture of the abbey through several models to reconstruct.

Play permit: families, and especially children, can be equipped for the visit with a bag containing game cards, binoculars, coloring… A family investigation is available online on the Wivisites application: “The mystery of Arthous or the quest for the forgotten secret”.

Agenda 2026

Find the full program for the 2026 season here !