Ars-en-Ré : Michelin's recommendations

A tangled network of little streets (so narrow that the corners of the houses had to be shaved down for horse carts to pass) runs through the centre of Ars, a port where ships arrived from Holland and Scandinavia to load salt. On the central square planted with elms stands the Church of St-Étienne, whose tapering steeple was painted black and white as a landmark for sailors. On Rue Gambetta, near the church, note the Renaissance Maison du Sénéchal (Bailiff’s House) with two corner turrets.