The Stilt-Walking Shepherds of Landes

The stilt shepherds of Landes were a unique group of shepherds in the Landes region of southwestern France, known for walking on stilts while tending their flocks. This distinctive practice flourished primarily in the 18th and 19th centuries and is deeply tied to the landscape and cultural history of the area.

The Landes region was historically a vast, marshy heathland—wet, uneven, and filled with scrub vegetation. Walking through such terrain was slow and difficult, especially for shepherds who had to cover large distances to manage their flocks. To solve this, they used stilts, called échasses, which allowed them to walk faster across rough terrain, stay dry above the soggy ground and thick underbrush. Perched comfortably atop this tripod configuration, a shepherd was afforded an elevated view to keep track of his sheep and watch for wolves.

The people of Landes were trained in stilt walking from a young age, and were capable of astonishing dexterity and balance, easily running, hopping and even bending down to pluck flowers.

Stilt walking gradually died out in Landes in the late 19th century as the planting of forests and draining of marshland changed the terrain, but it is still practiced in local folk performances.