Arcins: Marshes, Wine and Local History

Arcins brings together the wetlands of the Marais d’Arcins-Soussans, winegrowing and the history of the parish church of Notre-Dame d’Arcins. If you are planning a stay, you can explore these as distinct themes: nature trails, wine and local history. The details below will help you put routes, places to visit and historical context into perspective.

Walks in the Marais d’Arcins-Soussans

The Marais d’Arcins-Soussans is a Natura 2000 site comprising wet meadows, ponds, woodland and reed beds. There are two walking loops for exploring nature. The “Balade à roulettes: Le marais d’Arcins” is 9.55 kilometers long, rated “very easy” and listed as taking 2 hours 30 minutes. The distance, difficulty and estimated time give you different points of reference for planning. Check the latest route details in advance, as route information may be updated.

The BR4 Les Marais d’Arcins route can start in the center of Arcins or at Port d’Arcins. On a route through the Marais d’Arcins-Soussans, you reach a lock, where you can see how water levels in the marshes are continuously regulated. As well as the landscape itself, water management is therefore another topic you may encounter on a walk.

Port d’Arcins and the Gironde Estuary

Port d’Arcins offers a view of the Gironde Estuary. Île Verte lies directly opposite Arcins. Traditional carrelets fishing huts give the port its distinctive landscape. They are not open to visitors and can only be viewed from a distance. The site therefore combines a view of the estuary with a glimpse of the characteristic features of this harbor landscape, although visitors cannot enter the carrelets themselves.

Winegrowing and tours

The Château d’Arcins vineyard covers 101 hectares in one continuous area; the estate may update this figure. Château d’Arcins is also home to one of the early vineyards of the Haut-Médoc. The Knights Templar developed it in 1300. This early history of winegrowing is a distinct aspect of the area, alongside current information about the vineyard.

A tour of Château Arnauld includes a vineyard plot, the fermentation cellar and the fully renovated barrel cellar. The tour concludes with a tasting of three wines: Comte d’Arnauld, the second wine of Château Arnauld; Château Arnauld, classified as “Cru bourgeois Exceptionnel”; and Collection d’Arnauld, aged in centuries-old barrels. The wines therefore differ both in their names and classifications, as well as in the aging described for Collection d’Arnauld.

Notre-Dame d’Arcins: construction history and architecture

The parish church of Notre-Dame d’Arcins was rebuilt starting in 1838. Its main construction phase dates to 1840, and the new parish was recognized by an ordinance dated June 29, 1841. These dates place the rebuilding, main construction phase and recognition of the parish in chronological context.

The present-day church is built in the neoclassical style. Its nave has a single aisle and a barrel vault. “Single-aisle” describes a church space with one main nave; a barrel vault is a curved, longitudinal vault. The church can thus be understood both through its construction dates and through specific features of its architecture.

Getting there by bus

For bus travel, the “ARCINS EN MEDOC – BOURG” stop is a useful landmark. It is served by routes 705 and 700. Together with the possible starting points for the BR4, this information can help you plan your journey and choose a walk as separate parts of your trip.

Discover more destinations

Saint-Maixant, Fronsac, Saint-Aignan, Saint-André-De-Cubzac, Bieujac, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, Saint-Louis-de-Montferrand, Francs

Go to the main travel overview: Gironde.