Photo : JackyM59 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Phare Saint-Mathieu
The Pointe Saint-Mathieu lighthouse stands at Plougonvelin, at the western end of the Finistère, facing the Iroise sea. Built in 1835, it has been listed in its entirety as a historic monument since 2005. A climb of more than 160 steps leads to a 360-degree panorama over the Iroise sea and its islands, and guided tours explain how its Fresnel lens works.
The lighthouse rises amid the ruins of the abbey of Saint-Mathieu de Fine-Terre. What you see today is the Benedictine monastery rebuilt in the eleventh and twelfth centuries: the Romanesque façade, the stone vaults of the choir and the arcades of the nave. The chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce houses a small museum presenting a few remains of the abbey.
The point, also occupied by a semaphore and a memorial, is followed by the GR 34 path, which offers fine views over the cliffs.
