Coronation year for the “King of lighthouses”. On July 24, 2021, the Cordouan Lighthouse, a historic and emblematic monument of New Aquitaine, was listed as a World Heritage Site. “It was a highlight”, remembers Pascale Got, president of the Mixed Syndicate for Sustainable Development of the Gironde Estuary (Smiddest), which manages the lighthouse.
A moment so strong that it was difficult to realize the magnitude. “It was so preceded by a very long work, not complicated, but very demanding, to which we devoted ourselves for years, that when the announcement fell, we had difficulty in achieving, says Pascale Got. It is especially after we realize, when we have received a lot of messages. It’s a magical moment! “
Beyond the messages coming from all over the world, it was the local pride that particularly touched the president of Smiddest. “Whether in Charente-Maritime or Gironde, the inhabitants were very proud of this inscription, and it is heartwarming …”
Unesco effect
This prestigious recognition also represents a new lease of life for the Cordouan Lighthouse. “It put an extraordinary zoom on the monument, we had a lot of visitors this year, many international requests … He is even more recognized in the world, everyone looks at him with envy “, says Pascale Got. According to her, tourist operators on the Charente and Médoc shores of the estuary have found that “everyone is talking about the Cordouan Lighthouse.”
However, it will not become Walt Disney – Pascale Got
But no question of it becoming an amusement park. “It will not, however, become Walt Disney, because we have a quota in terms of the number of visitors to the lighthouse, and you have to access it by boat who are themselves subject to quotas”, warns Pascale Got.
Projects for 2022
With this crowning achievement, Cordouan will be offering new products to visitors in 2022. Thematic, historical, technical tours, or even the intensification of cultural creation. “Cordouan interests a lot of artists”.
There are also plans to further open the lighthouse to children. “A very important point for us. We welcome classes, but we also welcome children on land relays since Unesco has asked us to do so”, explains Pascale Got.
Note that from next year, the offer of visits will be extended to be able to receive all those who wish to visit the lighthouse, with the establishment of a low and a high season from from March-April until October.