Title:
Cordouan Lighhouse, National Monument of Gironde, France.
Caption:
One of the most famous lighthouses in the world is the Phare de
Cordouan (Cordouan lighthouse) located at the entrance of the Gironde
river at an equidistance of 7 kms, separating the departments of Gironde
and Charentes (Latitude: North 45°35'11'' and Longitude: West 1°10'25''
).
The Cordouan lighthouse was first built in 1584 by Louis DE FOIX and
Francois BEUSCHER. The towers were renovated by Teulere in 1862. The
tower is 64.8 meter tall and its light can be seen from 21 miles.
A chapel was built on the first floor. Beautiful colored glass decorate
the tall windows. King Louis XIV enjoyed spending time in this
lighthouse where he had his own bedroom. Today it is called the king
bedroom. Although the lighthouse is still operational to guide ships to
the entrance of the Gironde river (It is the oldest of the French
lighthouses still in activity), it is also a popular tourist
destination. In addition to its unique and beautiful architecture,
tourists also enjoy fishing from the beach and the hundreds of small
tide pools hosting shrimps and crabs. Delicious oysters also grow wild
and many visitors bring their oyster knives to enjoy them at their
freshest.
