The mystery at the bottom of the park

At the bottom of the Parque Mauresque in Arcachon, right where the rue de Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny comes to a halt, sits a small square. You will find a monument there that looks like it is having a bit of a geometric crisis. It is an oblique form monument, meaning it slants at an angle that might make you think the builders had one too many glasses of local Bordeaux wine before laying the bricks.

Town planners love placing odd structures at the end of long streets to see if tourists are paying attention. This stone structure stands proudly, defying the standard rules of vertical design. It is a bold choice for a town that usually prefers classic nineteenth century villas and neat seaside architecture.

A park with a dramatic past

The monument acts as a gateway to the staircase and elevator that lead up into the famous Parque Mauresque. The park itself has seen plenty of drama. It used to host a spectacular casino built in the grand Arab-Andalusia style. Sadly, that burned down in the late seventies because of an electrical fault. Now, visitors get a lovely botanical garden instead of a place to lose their life savings.