The Royal Lighthouse on the Open Sea: Serving Sailors for Over 400 Years

(Patria) - The Cordouan Lighthouse is over 400 years old and represents a true masterpiece of architecture built on the open sea - seven kilometers from the mainland.

It is located in southwestern France, in the Atlantic Ocean, at the entrance to the Gironde River estuary.

It is 67.5 meters high and was built on a rocky islet, a plateau surrounded by sandbanks that are only visible at low tide.

The Cordouan Lighthouse is the oldest active French lighthouse and the only one at sea that is still open to the public, writes Punkufer.hr.

Due to its magnificent architecture, it is also called the Royal Lighthouse or the Versailles of the Sea.

It was conceived not only as a maritime signaling structure but also as a monument comparable to the wonders of the world, clearly demonstrating the king's power.

Due to its historical and artistic richness in the middle of an inhospitable marine environment, it was classified as a historical monument in the same year as Notre-Dame-de-Paris, 1862, and in 2021 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the 14th century, by order of Prince Edward of Woodstock (the area was then under British rule), due to frequent shipwrecks at the entrance to the port of Bordeaux, a fire tower was built on the site of the present lighthouse.

Over time, it deteriorated, and shipwrecks became more frequent, so the French King Henry III decided to build a royal lighthouse that could rival the ancient wonders of the world, entrusting the project to architect Louis de Foix.

Construction, which began in 1584, was constantly hampered by technical and financial reasons. After the death of Henry III, it was completed for Henry IV.

The lighthouse was richly decorated with sculptures and wooden elements, and although no king ever visited it, it stood ready: it had a royal chapel and a royal apartment with a floor paved with black and white marble and walls decorated with Ionic columns.

The construction of this three-story tower, 37 meters high, took 27 years, and its architect died before it was completed.

The lighthouse took its final form in the 18th century when it reached its current height according to the project of architect Joseph Teulere in 1786.

This is how the beautiful spiral stone staircase was created, which curious visitors still climb today.

The Cordouan Lighthouse is accessible only by boat. From nearby mainland ports, Port-Médoc in Verdon-sur-Mer and the port of Royan, you can take tourist boats and visit the lighthouse.

The boat trip takes about half an hour, and the price for transport and admission is around 60 euros (the ticket alone is 15).

You can visit the lighthouse from April to October, and the lighthouse keepers will be your hosts. You must keep in mind that the lighthouse's operating hours change according to the tides.

Do not give up when you hear that you have to climb 301 steps. You shouldn't miss the view from the balcony at the top.

Above the balcony is the lantern room, which is closed to the public. For centuries, this was a laboratory where numerous technical lighting innovations were developed.

Here, in 1823, Augustin Fresnel experimented with scaled lenses that are used in almost all lighthouses in the world today.

The lighthouse is equipped with a 250 W bulb that can be seen from a distance of 40 kilometers, and its distinctive feature is its 12-second interval flashing.

Two groups of ten batteries each, which power all the electrical installations in the lighthouse, are supplied by five generators, and the lighthouse's operation is monitored from the mainland.