If you’re not afraid of heights, and are both willing and able to climb a few steps, the Observatoire Sainte-Cécile in Arcachon’s Ville d’Hiver quarter will reward you with one of the finest possible views over Arcachon bay.

This observation tower, completed in 1863, was the brainchild of Paul Regnauld. Regnauld, who was also the man behind the casino in the nearby Parc Mauresque, was an engineer with the railway operators Compagnie des Chemins de Fer du Midi, owned by the brothers Émile and Isaac Pereire, who did much to promote and develop the town of Arcachon. Regnauld was also behind the conception of the first wave of elegant villas in the Ville d’Hiver quarter, as well as designing a railway bridge in Bordeaux, the 1858-1860 construction of which was led by a young man called Gustave Eiffel.

The seaside resort of Arcachon is divided into four districts, each named after a season. The Ville d’Automne has developed around the port. The Ville de Printemps is a leafy residential area to the west of the town. That leaves the Ville d’Été, the commercial heart of the town, and the bourgeois Ville d’Hiver, perched on the dominant heights of a central mound. And one of the best ways to facilitate the 25-metre ascent from one to the other is this public elevator!