Ville d'Hiver
Tucked into the pine-covered hillside above the seafront, Arcachon's Ville d'Hiver is a fairy-tale quarter of ornate 19th-century villas built to shelter wealthy Bordeaux families from winter winds — and it looks almost exactly as it did in 1880.
An Open-Air Architecture Museum
Strolling the shaded lanes of the Ville d'Hiver feels like wandering through a cabinet of Victorian architectural fantasy: Moorish arches sit next to Swiss-chalet gables, Gothic turrets peer over wrought-iron fences, and every garden is thick with mimosa and camellia.
The quarter was designed by Émile Pereire in 1862 on a deliberate grid of concentric semicircles, and over 300 of the original villas survive. Pick up a free heritage map from the Arcachon tourist office and follow the self-guided circuit.
The Parc Mauresque & Esplanade
At the heart of the neighbourhood, the Parc Mauresque offers shaded benches, century-old trees and the restored Casino Municipal — a Moorish confection that now hosts concerts and exhibitions.
The belvedere at the top of the park gives a lovely elevated view over the rooftops and the basin beyond. Come in February when the mimosa is in full bloom and the whole hillside turns yellow.
The funicular-style lift (the Ascenseur) connecting the Ville d'Hiver to the seafront promenade below has been restored and is the most charming way to move between the two levels.
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