HISTORY & CULTURE
Saint-Mathieu lighthouse
For almost a thousand years, every effort has been made to keep a light burning at the tip of Saint-Mathieu. In the Middle Ages, long before the construction of a lighthouse on this rocky spur, the monks kept a lantern at the top of the Abbey to guide sailors into the Brest Narrows and the perilous Le Four channel. Many innovations were needed to keep the lantern burning through wind and tide!
When the old Abbey tower threatened to collapse, the Navy had a new lighthouse built nearby: taller, more powerful and more modern. Inaugurated in 1835, electrified in 1932 and remote-controlled since 2005, the Saint-Mathieu lighthouse crosses its beam over 40 km thanks to its Fresnel lenses. This particularly powerful device is just 200 years old!
FULL OF EYES
Become a lighthouse keeper
The Saint-Mathieu lighthouse welcomes you all year round for a visit to its granite tower. At the top of its 163 steps (37 meters), you'll be greeted on the walkway by Aurélie or Loïc, who'll tell you all about the site's history, as well as a host of anecdotes, all set against an exceptional panorama.
You'll see the Pointe du Raz and the Ouessant rail, the Parc Naturel Marin d'Iroise and its maritime life, and the islands of the Molène archipelago. Round off your visit with the temporary exhibition on the first floor.
NOCTURNE
Saint-Mathieu Lighthouse Night
La Nuit du phare de Saint-Mathieu, an evening tour offered in summer and during school vacations, is sure to brighten up your stay! The Iroise Sea is the most illuminated in the world: at nightfall, lighthouses, beacons and harbor entrance lights offer a veritable ballet of beams!
INESCAPABLE
La pointe de Saint-Mathieu
Just a stone's throw from the lighthouse, on a natural promontory steeped in history, are the ruins of the Abbey of Saint-Mathieu de Fine Terre, a vestige of intense religious life in the Middle Ages. A museum dedicated to this legendary monument awaits you! You can also visit the national memorial to sailors who died for France, and follow the 4-kilometer loop along the memory trail to the Musée Mémoires 39-45, housed in a former German command bunker.
ESCAPADE
Cultural and catering facilities welcome you for an unforgettable day, or even more!
RED WIRE
The Lighthouse Route
Take the Route des Phares on foot along the GR®34 or by bike along our coastal trails! In the Iroise region, you'll discover the Saint-Mathieu lighthouse at Plougonvelin, the Kermorvan lighthouse at Le Conquet, and then, heading north, the Trézien lighthouse, the most earthy of the three, located near the tip of Corsen. All three lighthouses are open to visitors: get a discount on admission with the Lighthouse Passport!
Strolling along the Presqu'île Saint-Laurent in Porspoder, you'll catch a glimpse of the fascinating Four lighthouse, described by its keepers as "a hellish sight". You can also learn more about our maritime heritage at the Fort de Bertheaume in Plongonvelin, La Maison de l'Algue in Lanildut and the Espace Muséographique Ancre an Eor - in the wake of the Amoco Cadiz, in Portsall.
