Whale Lighthouse
Local name: Phare des Baleines
The Lighthouse of the Whales are two lighthouses standing on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean near La Rochelle. The older one, unused today, dates from the 17th century and is the second oldest in France. The 57-meter high lighthouse currently in use dates from the mid-nineteenth century.
The name of the lighthouse comes from the whales coming nearby. The author of the first of the lanterns was the famous creator of Vauban fortifications. The 30-meter round tower he designed is still standing on the edge of the land. In the mid-nineteenth century, this structure was already outdated and it was decided to build a new lighthouse.
It is a slender, polygonal building combined with a technical building. A lighthouse keeper's house stands nearby. The classicizing light stone building looks like a castle from afar. After climbing the 257 stairs, from the observation deck you can admire the magnificent panorama of the Atlantic coast.
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