Photo : Guy Bernard / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Phare du Stiff
The Stiff lighthouse stands on the Stiff cliff, the high point of the island of Ouessant, in the Finistère, near the harbour where boats dock. It is attributed to Vauban, who decided in the late seventeenth century to raise at the top of the cliff two joined truncated-cone towers: one houses the spiral staircase, the other housed keepers' lodgings and a coal store. Sources differ on the exact date, between 1695 and 1699.
It is one of the first lighthouses built at Vauban's instigation and one of the oldest lighthouses in France still in operation. It is listed as a historic monument and now operates automatically.
A tourist source indicates that you can climb to the top for a panorama over the sea and neighbouring islands; current access conditions should be checked with the Ouessant tourist office. The island is reached by boat from Brest or Le Conquet.
