Phare d'Eckmühl

Guardians against grisly rocks

Picture 1 Phare d'Eckmühl Picture 2 Phare d'Eckmühl Picture 3 Phare d'Eckmühl

The ‘grisly rokkes blake’ of the Penmarc’h peninsula on the very southwest tip of Finistère feature nightmarishly large in one of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales – and rightfully so; they have in reality caused too many shipwrecks. To combat the danger, several lighthouses have gone up here, the Phare d’Eckmühl dwarfing the others.

The three musketeers

A trio of intriguing lighthouses stands in a neat row at the Pointe de Penmarc’h. The oldest takes the form of a tower plonked top-heavily over the chapel of St-Pierre; now this put-upon religious edifice hosts local art exhibitions in season. The solid, second lighthouse dates from the mid-19th century; today, an amusing statue of an octopus greets you at its entrance, enticing you to visit the excellent themed exhibitions inside, organised by the Centre de Découverte Maritime, along with quite fine art exhibitions. The third lighthouse is the towering Phare d’Eckmühl, one of the most important in Europe, built late in the 19th century, still spreading its beam far and wide from its imposing 65-metre height. Climb up inside, and your reward is tremendous views, both across the Pays Bigouden and out to sea.

Why the strange name?

So why the German name for the tallest lighthouse? It was built thanks to a legacy left by the daughter of a Napoleonic general who had been honoured, after a victory in Germany, with the title of the Bavarian village where the battle occurred. On a gentler note, sweet scenes representing everyday life in the Pays Bigouden have been painted around the walls protecting the lighthouse.

Amidst the rocks

At the foot of the Phare d’Eckmühl, cafés cater to both tourists and the amateur fishermen who take to their tiny boats from the charming little port of St-Pierre set amidst the rocks. At the back of this port, the Association Papa Poydenot pays homage to sea rescues organised from here in an exhibition centred around an old life boat. Right by the rocks north of the lighthouses, the cheering Chapelle de la Joie welcomed sailors who came to give thanks to the Virgin for saving them from accidents at sea.

Did you know?

Read Chaucer’s Franklin’s Tale to find out about Lady Dorigen’sterrible fear of the rocks of Penmarc’h when her husband heads off onadventures at sea.