Paris1972-Versailles2003

Once again looking at my vault found me pictures, that got me to do this post on the town of Arcachon in my blog. This is the Atlantic coast on the side of beaches and wonderful towns with several posts already, Therefore, let me tell you about this is Arcachon !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I

The town of Arcachon is located in the Gironde department, no, 33, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of my belle France. This seaside resort was created in 1857 by separating part of the town of La Teste-de-Buch. A seaside resort and fishing port, the town is bordered to the north by the Arcachon basin and to the south by the town of La Teste-de-Buch, in which the resort of Pyla-sur-Mer is an extension of that of Arcachon.  The town is 5 km from La Teste-de-Buch, 56 km from Lège-Cap-Ferret, 66 km from Bordeaux, 645 km from Versailles, and 562 km from my current home. The roads D1250, N250, and A660 connects to the A63 autoroute and leads to Bordeaux, southern Gironde, the Landes region, and the Basque Country. The D650 road running along the south of the Arcachon basin (passing through La Teste-de-Buch, Gujan-Mestras, Le Teich and Biganos) and heading towards Bordeaux (rue de Pessac); the D218 road running along the ocean and the beaches via Le Moulleau, to access the Dune du Pilat, Pyla-sur-Mer and the Landes via Biscarrosse. We came in on the N165, then around Nantes on the A83 dir Bordeaux to around Niort to connect with the A10 dir Bordeaux, around the rocade A630 of Bordeaux to connect with the A63 to exit /sortie 25 connect with the A660 to N250 to D1250 finally on the D217 to Arcachon.

The Basilique Notre-Dame d’Arcachon  or the Basilica of Our Lady of Arcachon is located at Place de la Basilique Notre Dame,and is the mother church of Arcachon. It is in the lancet ogival style. The basilica adopts a neo-Gothic style and preserves the old oratory annexed to the new structure. Built too small for a growing population, the church was enlarged in 1883 by moving the apse back 14.50 meters, which allowed the construction of the transept. This sanctuary experienced in 1870 the coronation of the Virgin. The fresco in the choir describes the coronation ceremony and represents the people who were present. The stained glass windows summarize the history of the basilica. The choir, magnificently decorated with a monumental fresco representing the coronation of Our Lady of Arcachon, makes it a place of great historical and spiritual importance. On March 9 1953, Pius XII elevated the church to the rank of minor basilica.

The Basilica Notre Dame is a large church, 50 meters long. The overhanging forecourt opens onto the Chapel Alley below with the Sailors’ Cross, the Chapel Pier, and Arcachon Bay further away. The layout of the two buildings is unusual as the entrance to the Chapelle des Marins or Sailors’ Chapel opens onto the interior of the nave of the basilica. Inside is a long fresco depicting the coronation of the statue of the Virgin of Arcachon by Cardinal Ferdinand-François-Auguste Donnet, Archbishop of Bordeaux, in 1873. A Head of Christ by the sculptor Claude Bouscau is also preserved.

The organ is on a Neo-Gothic oak case comprising 3 pewter pipe platforms. The platforms are crowned with gables with crockets and pinnacles. Window console. Square register rods with porcelain indicating the names of the stops on each side of the keyboards. In 1863, a 20-stop organ was built. In 1900, the instrument was restored and transformed. In 1962, the instrument was modified. In 1992, the instrument was rebuilt, retaining the majority of the original stops as well as the case.

A bit of history of the Basilica Notre Dame tell us that it was a Thomas Illyricus ,a Franciscan friar from Vrana in Dalmatia, hence his name. Once a priest, he went to preach in Italy, Spain, and then the South of France. He took refuge near the beach of La Teste-de-Buch (now Arcachon) to pray and meditate. In 1519, while praying on a stormy day, he saw two ships about to sink on the sandbanks. He traced the sign of the cross in the sand and prayed for the unfortunate sailors. Suddenly, the waters calmed and the two ships were able to return to the open sea. As he got up, thanking God, he discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary washed ashore by the waves. With the help of the locals, he built a wooden chapel to house and honor the statue. As a town grew up in the surrounding area, the parish was created in 1854. The first stone of the new church of Notre-Dame d’Arcachon was laid in 1856. It is in the neo-Gothic style. The church was opened for worship in 1859, but the first services were not celebrated until 1861. The brief of July 15, 1870, from Pope Pius IX, granted the coronation to the statue of the Miraculous Virgin of Notre-Dame d’Arcachon, which was an exclusivity reserved for the most popular pilgrimages.

As part of the Holy Year, “jubilee churches” have been designated around the world to enable local communities to fully experience this spiritual event. The Notre-Dame Basilica in Arcachon is one of them,

Other things to see here me think are the Grand-Hôtel d’Arcachon: inaugurated in 1866 at the intersection of the current Boulevard de la Plage and Rue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, Sissi and the deposed Queen of Madagascar Ranavalona III were among its guests. Destroyed by fire in 1906, it was rebuilt and inaugurated in 1910, without however regaining its former splendor. The hotel resumed its activity after the wars then closed in 1955, before being divided into apartments. It is now called the “Carnot residence” ,The Notre-Dame-des-Passes Church, built in 1863, is located in the Moulleau district. The Sailors’ Chapel is a chapel whose walls are covered with ex-votos, gifts from sailors saved from the waters, it connects with the basilica see above. The Sainte-Cécile observatory is a 25 meters high metal belvedere built in 1863 by Paul Régnauld, assisted by Gustave Eiffel, which overlooks the city and offers a view of the basin. The Thiers jetty was built in 1903 in place of a belvedere erected in 1880. It is the starting point for the shuttles that cross the basin. The Deganne castle , now houses the city’s casino and convention center. The Arcachon basin is a quasi-enclosed maritime site in the shape of a cove bordered by the Dune of Pilat. The fishing port and the marina were inaugurated respectively on August 15, 1958 and May 11, 1968. It is the second largest marina on the Atlantic coast after that of La Rochelle. The plage Pereire beach is laid out with maritime gardens, lawns, promenades and cycle paths which lead to the Moulleau district.

A bit of history tell us that until the beginning of the 19C, Arcachon was reduced to a few fishermen’s and resin collectors’ huts on the edge of the Arcachon basin. In 1845, a deep-water landing stage was built on the bay, five kilometers north of La Teste-de-Buch; a road, cut through the salt marshes, served it. Villas were built: Arcachon was born. Arcachon a former district of La Teste-de-Buch, was established as a town by imperial decree (Napoleon III) on May 2, 1857, The thalassotherapy, climatotherapy and even later thermalism, with the discovery in 1923 of the Sainte-Anne des Abatilles spring, the destiny of Arcachon was oriented from the beginning towards that of a city of health, In the Cité d’Hiver or Winter City, there is in the Moorish park, an alley of the Moulin Rouge which pays homage to the great painter Toulouse-Lautrec who used to spend some holidays in Arcachon. The artist owned a house on the edge of the beach where he liked to swim. During WWII, the nazis occupier stationed the 950th Hindu regiment there as a garrison. The town was liberated on August 22, 1944 by the FFI (French Forces of the Interior) of the Arcachon battalion commanded by Captain Duchez.

The Arcachon tourist office on the Basilica Notre Dame : https://www.arcachon.com/en/je-fais-des-travaux-en/tourism/discovery/exceptional-locations/notre-dame-basilica/

The City of Arcachon on its history/heritage : https://www.ville-arcachon.fr/histoire-patrimoine/

The Gironde dept 33 tourist office on the Bay of Arcachon : https://www.gironde-tourisme.com/en/decouvrir-la-gironde/nos-destinations/le-bassin-darcachon/

The Nouvelle Aquitaine regional tourist office on the Bay of Arcachon : https://www.nouvelle-aquitaine-tourisme.com/en/atlantic-coast/three-days-in-arcachon-bay

There you go folks, a dandy road warrior trip in beautiful Arcachon. The beautiful scenery of country air and the beaches, can’t beat this combination love it.  Again, hope you enjoy this post on this is Arcachon !!! as I. 

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!