You can visit it but be aware that there are 301 steps to the top!Ĭruise part of the Gironde estuary on the River Garonne as it makes its way to Bordeaux, the capital of French wines. Cordouan is also the only inhabited lighthouse in France. The engineer Louis de Foix built the lighthouse in 1611 and it underwent remodelling in the 18th century to update its lenses and make it taller. Cordouan received the accolade in summer 2021 in recognition of its historic past and more than 400 years of lighting the way for sailors near Le Verdon-sur-Mer on the Gironde Estuary. Not only is the Cordouan lighthouse the oldest in France, but it’s also one of only two in the world to have UNESCO World Heritage status. Best of all French lighthouses? Phare de Cordouan, Gironde Estuary In this article, we’ve selected seven of our favourite lighthouses – take a look and make a note to check them out located atop some rocky outcrop when you’re next on the French coast. They’ve guarded the coasts and warned sailors of dangerous reefs, cliffs and currents for decades and still today provide an essential service.īut as well as useful, the lighthouses are a fascinating part of the French coastline, many are impressive architectural buildings and/or historic sites, plus many are open to the public. Byway offers a tailored six-day journey to the Netherlands.There are around 220 beacons and lighthouses in France, dotted the entire length of the country’s coastline and in French territories around the world. Spend some time exploring Rotterdam to see its eyecatching architecture, street art and the transformation of its once industrial docks. Here you can cycle to Castle De Haar or take the local bus to see dinky Oud-Zuilen and its 18th century mansion house. A few days later, travel the two and a half hours south by train to Utrecht, a historic university city with a lively canalside bar and café scene. This sleepy harbourside town with its red brick townhouses, canals and cobbled streets makes a great base to explore the coastline and its vast beaches backed by dunes and wetlands. To get to know the country without the crowds, exit the Eurostar at the port city of Rotterdam to head north to Harlingen on the coast of the Wadden Sea. Off the beaten path in the NetherlandsĪmsterdam isn’t the only destination in the Netherlands. On the canal in Harlingen (Getty Images) 5. Eurostar guide: everything you need to know before you travel.You can extend your stay with a few nights in the capital of the Cotswolds, Cirencester, a one-time Roman settlement that’s now a handsome market town for a seven-day tour including guided walks, transfers and accommodation, get in touch with Ramblers. As for your accommodation, there are poshed-up coaching inns and classic, honey-stoned country houses to choose between. A network of footpaths criss-cross it all, and connect to arboreta, world renowned gardens and National Trust homes. Between an array of tea shop-filled villages - many with pretty names such as Chipping Norton or Bourton-on-the-Water - comes the most gently rolling countryside imaginable, all hedgerows, chalk rivers and bright green fields. There’s nowhere quite like the oh-so-English Cotswolds. If you click and buy a product, we may earn revenue.īliss Tweed Mill in Chipping Norton (Alamy) 1. These buttons and adverts are clearly signposted, and provide direct links through to external sites. We also feature properties and itineraries from a specially selected list of trusted operators. Our travel journalism is written and edited by independent experts to inform, inspire and advise our readers about the best choices for your holidays.
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