Phare de Chassiron — Attraction in Rochefort

Pedestrian area only but Nice place with alof history. You can climb to the top of the lighthouse €4.60 each. The grounds are beautiful and well kept

The CHASSIRON LIGHTHOUSE

The Chassiron lighthouse is located at the northern tip of the island of Oléron, also known as the "end of the world tip".

Its strategic position allows sailors to locate the entrance to the Antioch Strait, the scene of many shipwrecks....

Features Name : Chassiron Lighthouse Height : 46 meters above ground level Diameter : 18 meters Shape : circular Number of steps : 224 Year of construction : 1836 Color code : 3 black stripes and 3 white stripes Light code : 1 white flash every 10 seconds Bulb : 250W metal halide Visibility : 35 km during the day and 52 km at night Construction materials : Crazannes stone and Vendée granite

History A first fire tower, 23.80 m high, was built in 1685 at the request of Colbert in order to mark the entrance to the Pertuis d'Antioche and thus guide the ships which joined the Charente estuary to reach the military arsenal of Rochefort.

The increase in maritime traffic, the modernization of the beaconing and the retreat of the cliff led to the construction of a new lighthouse between 1834 and 1836.

Its strategic position and its height of 46m allow the Chassiron lighthouse to effectively warn sailors of the approach to the coast and the dangerous rock banks of the Antioche strait.

Originally entirely white, the lighthouse acquired its black bands in 1926 to increase its visibility and limit confusion with its neighbor: the Baleines lighthouse.

The optic, composed of eight lenticular panels, was electrified in 1930 and today operates with a 250 W metal halide bulb.

The last lighthouse keeper left in 1998. Since then, the lighthouse has been fully automated and controlled by the La Rochelle Lighthouses and Beacons office.

The Chassiron lighthouse garden The only true garden at the foot of a lighthouse, this one was designed based on the concept of the compass rose. It is possible to discover, in its four corners, the facets and anecdotes of each cardinal point.

The garden is oriented around two themes:

The agricultural garden consists of a vineyard and a vegetable garden

The vine:

Three grape varieties have been planted: Merlot, Sauvignon, and Uni Blanc. Oléron has a mild and very sunny climate, ideal for growing vines. The island has approximately 750 hectares of vines shared between private wineries and the cooperative. In addition to Pineau and Cognac, which remain the flagships of this viticulture, producers have converted to high-quality local wines.

The vegetable garden:

Oléron is an island of farmers before being an island of sailors. The added value brought by direct sales today allows market gardening production to be promoted to holidaymakers. Around the different varieties of vegetables (beans, onions, potatoes, artichokes, etc.), herbs (thyme, mint, bay leaf, verbena, etc.) and fruit trees (fig trees, peach trees, raspberry bushes, etc.) it is possible to imagine the life of the lighthouse keeper who cultivated his own vegetable garden on the site. This allowed him to live self-sufficiently.

The contemporary garden

This section is made up of flowerbeds with a wide variety of plants from all over the world (roses, irises, lilies, boxwood, grasses, etc.). There are also ponds decorated with aquatic species (mint, papyrus, reeds, arum lilies, etc.).

The garden is equipped with information terminals retracing the history of the lighthouse. Visitors can freely access the garden and discover, as they stroll through the paths, turntables, sighting glasses, a relief map, and an audio terminal with a magnetic loop for the hearing impaired. The latter is available in three languages: French, English, and German. These various activities help enrich visitors' knowledge of the maritime domain, marine species, and...

The drive through the Ile d'Oleron was a pretty one. A really nice road along the coast and through some island towns. Very charming, very different from the mainland. Very enjoyable.

Had a great lunch stop at the Quai 17 in St. Denis-D'Oleron. After we drove to the end of the island, to this lighthouse.

Parked the car here, very close to the restaurant and other facilities on site. Unpaved, but quite low fees. Fair enough.

There is handful of shops, a bigger restaurants, some food stalls, bathrooms. All looks quite a bit dated. There are two ways to walk. One is paved and lead directly to the Phare (lighthouse). The other is an unpaved (but flat) trail circling around the lighthouse just right at the coast.

I went straight to the lighthouse first. Didn't pay to go up though. Just wanted to see the lighthouse from up-close. And: It's nothing to write home about. Quite un-exciting. There are better lighthouses around.

The trail along the coast was enjoyable though. Nice sea views and some other views of the lighthouse. But it's a quite short walk. Of course, the trail keeps going along the coast and the island, but that would take you far away from you parked car. And in high season it can get pretty hot here under the sun without shade.

It was ok. A quick walk, some nice views. Just for this I wouldn't recommend to come to the Ile D'Oleron. But we enjoyed the drive, the island and our lunch so much that we think it was very well worth spending a day here on...

Wonderful lighthouse experience. Sits at the top of Oleron island and has a beautiful garden that surrounds it. There are plenty of things to do nearby like horse riding, bike paths, restaurants and snack bars. Parking is plentiful and free. Lighthouse is a nice treat. Cost is minimal and you have access to the museum which explains the rich history of the area. There are a lot of steps, so if that is an issue, you may want to take in the sights from the ground. There are limits with how many people are in the lighthouse to avoid crowding and issue climbing and descending. It’s narrow at the top so you have to be patient and wait your turn. This is a can’t miss visit if you have the chance to...