See the French coast
Lighthouses on the French coast stand as imposing testaments to French seafaring past. Although many are now sadly abandoned, their architectural beauty and historical importance make them a must-see for holidaymakers in France. French lighthouses are obscure historical treasures that hark back to a largely forgotten era of Gallic seamanship . All over the French shoreline, the lighthouses – or phare as they are called in France – have weathered the worst that the Channel and the Atlantic Ocean can throw at them for hundreds of years. These eye-catching buildings punctuate the horizon around the shore, forming a marvellous network of signal lights originally designed to preserve the lives of French sailors and ensure the integrity of France’s shipping lanes. Some of the most beautiful lighthouses can be found in Brittany, and on the tiny Île D’Ouessant just off the mainland. A rough, wind-battered tranche of land is only 5km by 8km long, it is home to a number of truly superb historical lighthouses, both onshore and off. Fenced in by fierce currents and perilous outcrops of hidden rocks, the island has claimed many lives over the decades, making its lighthouses of vital practical importance for shipping control through this dangerous area. The lighthouses on the island are some of the most spectacular to be found anywhere in France. From the short, square Phare de Kermorvan with its rugged stone balustrades to the simple yet robust elegance of the Phare du Petit Minou, the Île D’Ouessant showcases some truly stunning feats of engineering and practical architecture. The lighthouses are even more magnificant when one considers that most were built in the early years of the nineteenth century, when building techniques were nowhere near as advanced as they are now. The fact that these structures are still standing in the face of such severe weather conditions is a credit to the skill and tenacity of the men who built them. Reaching the Île D’Ouessant is quick and easy – just catch a Zeebrugge channel ferry to the French mainland and travel to Brest in Brittany. There the twice daily ferry will take you over to the island for a very modest fee. Once there, you can explore the island on foot or by bike, taking in the unique sights of these commanding silent sentinels.
