Gatteville-le-Phare Travel Guide

Of course, there is no lift inside the lighthouse. So, you must have good legs if you want to climb its 365 steps. Here you see a small tower next to the lighthouse. I don't know exactly what it is used for.

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Next to the high lighthouse of Gatteville, a smaller tower rises up from the rocks. This is the semaphore, which signals ships in other ways that with a lightbeam swinging around in a significant pattern. Originally a semaphore signaled ships with signs, telling them about certain conditions in the sea, in the harbours around and about the weather. Now-a-days this is done by radio and the internet, which can be seen from the large dishes on the semaphore. Few of these things are also radar systems, keeping a sharp view over the English Channel.

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At the foot of the lighthouse of Gatteville flattened (eroded by the sea) rocks invite to stay a while and enjoy the waves and the sea air. On a sunny day it is a real pleasure to lay in the sun on the warm stones. Sailing ships gently pass by as the waves make soft sounds on the rocks and after the climb up to the top of the lighthouse, this is a perfect way to relax a bit.

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"Le Phare", actually means The Lighthouse in French. Gatteville's lighthouse is open to public and one can climb the 365 stairs up to the top to see the lamps as well as the wonderful views around. Already in the late 18th century, the region decided that it was very important to built a lighthouse here and a - only 26 meter high - lighthouse was realised in 1780. It competed in rivalry with the lighthouse on the other side of Cotentin peninsula, the one on Cap la Hague, for many years. This competition was definately won, when in the 20st century the present lighthouse was built at a eight of almost 75 meters. It became the second highest lighthouse in Europe and THE beaken for ships sailing along the English Channel (La Manche) from and towards Le Havre (the main French harour and gateway to the Seine river and Paris).

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I will end this short tour in Gatteville with two beautiful pics of la Manche (the Channel). Afterwards, my parents and I continued to visit the Cotentin as far as Cherbourg.

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My father took these pics before we climbed the lighthouse. The second and the third photos suggest you how high it is (or how small people are).

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Most drive through the village of Gatteville immediately towards the lighthouse. The village itself is small and a typical Normandian coastal small village. Remarkable buildings are the church, a small chapel (Chapelle Notre-Dame du Bon Secours) just across the square that the church is on and the windmill.
The chapel was already here in the 12th century, but the present building dates back to the 18th century. The main church is a typical Normandian building, made by the natural stones that is used for all old buildings in these regions. Even the windmill is built with these stones. Special of this last building is that a family still lives in it.