What to do · Arcachon Bay
Arcachon's Ville d'Hiver
Information
- Price
- On your own · free
- Duration
- 1 h
- With a dog
- Dog-friendly
What it is
The Ville d'Hiver is Arcachon's historic district, on the pine-covered hill behind the seafront. It was created under the Second Empire by the brothers Émile and Isaac Pereire, the same men who brought the railway to Arcachon, to attract a wealthy clientele who came to take the sea and pine air as a cure. Across 110 hectares are scattered about 300 villas from the 19th and early 20th centuries, in every style: Swiss chalets, Gothic mansions, Moorish pavilions, neoclassical facades, with turrets, openwork balconies and exotic gardens. The streets are winding and sloping, laid out to shelter from the wind.
It is a one-hour walk, in the shade and free, which also works on days that are not beach days.
The route
The tourist office suggests an itinerary you can follow on your own:
- Villa Teresa, in Hispano-Moorish style. A good starting point.
- Villa Toledo, in Spanish style, with a staircase painted in trompe-l'oeil.
- Villa Alexandre Dumas, richly decorated.
- Villa Vincenette, with its glazed bay windows.
- Villa Brémontier, a version of the Swiss chalet, and the Villa Trocadéro, near place Brémontier.
- Villa Carmen, in stone and brick.
On the way you pass place Fleming, the former place des Palmiers, with a white bandstand from 1893 where concerts were held on winter Sundays. King Alfonso XII, Empress Sisi and the Prince of Wales passed through the Ville d'Hiver.
The Parc Mauresque and the Sainte-Cécile observatory
The Parc Mauresque is a 4-hectare garden at the top, with rare species, a kiosk, history panels and a view over the bay. It occupies the site of the old Moorish casino of 1863, which burned down in 1977. You go up for free in the public lift at the end of rue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, and you can have a picnic.
Next to it is the Sainte-Cécile observatory, a 25-metre metal tower from 1863, the work of the architect Paul Régnauld with the help of a young Gustave Eiffel. You reach it by the 32-metre Saint-Paul footbridge, over a 15-metre ravine. From the top you see all of Arcachon and the bay. Some parts move as you climb; if you are afraid of heights, stay on the footbridge. Ask at the tourist office whether it is open.
Guided tour or by train
- On your own: the tourist office provides a free itinerary and has digital routes.
- Guided walking tour: run by the tourist office, lasts about 1 hour 30 and costs from €14.50; book at arcachon.com.
- Tourist train: from April to October, a commentated circuit passes through the Ville d'Hiver.
Getting there and parking
From the beach and the centre of Arcachon you climb on foot or in the Parc Mauresque lift. From Arcachon station, where the train from Bordeaux arrives, you walk through the centre. The district's streets are narrow and residential: leave the car below.
With children, dog and pushchair
The walk is gentle and shaded, suitable for all ages. With a dog on a lead there is no problem. With a pushchair, you notice the slopes. Children like the lift and the observatory footbridge.
Combine it
Go down afterwards to the seafront and the Arcachon market, in place des Marquises, in the morning. From the jetée Thiers leave the boats to the Île aux Oiseaux.
Tips
- Go up in the Parc Mauresque lift It is free and drops you at the top of the Ville d'Hiver without the climb.
- Ask for the itinerary at the tourist office The free route takes you from villa to villa with its story.
- Go in summer for the place Fleming festival Every summer the locals dress in period costume and hold a party in the square with the bandstand.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to visit the Ville d'Hiver?
Nothing on your own. The tourist office's guided tour costs from €14.50 and lasts about 1 hour 30.
Can you visit the villas inside?
They are private homes: you see them from the street. The guided tour tells their story.
How do you get up from the beach?
On foot, along sloping streets, or with the free public lift at the Parc Mauresque, at the end of rue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny.
With a dog
