Construction of the first lighthouse 1839 (≈ 1839)
Headlight of the Bec du Raz lit that year.
1887
Extinction of the original lighthouse
Extinction of the original lighthouse 1887 (≈ 1887)
Replaced by the Old Lighthouse.
1942
Initial site ranking
Initial site ranking 1942 (≈ 1942)
Registration of hotels rebuilt after the war.
21 décembre 1987
Official Site Classification
Official Site Classification 21 décembre 1987 (≈ 1987)
Enhanced environmental protection.
1996-1997
Demolition of tourist developments
Demolition of tourist developments 1996-1997 (≈ 1997)
Hotels and commercial city destroyed for restoration.
2004
Label Grand Site de France
Label Grand Site de France 2004 (≈ 2004)
First labeling of the rehabilitated site.
2012 et 2019
Renewals of the label
Renewals of the label 2012 et 2019 (≈ 2019)
Extension of protected perimeter to 8,700 ha.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Eugène Boudin - Impressionist painter
Stayed and painted the peak in 1855.
Cyprian Godebski - Sculptor
Author of the statue Notre-Dame des Naufragés.
Origin and history
The point of the Raz is a 72-metre-high rocky promontory located at the western end of Cape Sizun in Finistère. This natural site, classified in 1987 and labeled Grand Site de France in 2004, dominates the Sein raz and the Iroise Sea. It consists of a two-mica leucogranite formed by geological processes related to South American shear and has a characteristic mylonitic texture. Its supra-Mediterranean climate, with dry and cool summers, and spectacular landscapes make it a unique place in Brittany.
In the 19th century, the point of Raz became a major tourist destination, attracting artists like Eugène Boudin, mentor of Impressionism, who stayed there in 1855. In the 1960s, anarchic commercial developments (hotels, car parks, restaurants) degraded the site, leading to environmental protection measures. A national Grand Site operation is being launched to restore its vegetation cover (cruyres) and limit the tourist impact. The hotels and the commercial city, built after the war, were demolished in 1996/97, and parking lots were relocated 800 metres from the semaphore.
The point of the Raz is also marked by its dangerous maritime history, with the Sein raz, known for its violent currents. As early as 1839, a lighthouse was built there (exposed in 1887), replaced by the lighthouses of the Old and Tévennec. The present semaphore and the statue of Notre-Dame des Naufragés recall local legends, such as that of the Hell of Plogoff, a marine gallery where the sea would lay the drowned. The site, now protected, is crossed by the GR 34 and the European path E5, linking Brittany to Venice.
Toponymically, the name "Raz" comes from the norrois rás, designating a rapid current, and was formerly called "Raz de Fontenoy" with reference to a coastal source. In the 19th century, the Royal Navy called it "Bec du Raz", before the Breton name Beg ar Raz was imposed. In the 1970s-1980s, the controversial Plogoff nuclear power plant project threatened the site, before its protection was reinforced by national labels and concerted management (Joint Union, Coastal Conservatory).
Today, the point of Raz attracts more than one million annual visitors. Its ecological rehabilitation, carried out with active (revegetation) and passive (defens) methods, has restored its landscape of moors. The site is managed by a mixed union involving local authorities and environmental actors, ensuring its preservation while hosting sustainable tourism, with regulated access (shuttles, remote parking).
