Though Jules Verne may have been thinking of the one at Isla de los Estados, near Tierra del Fuego (off the southernmost coasts of Argentina and Chile), when he wrote his novel The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World, the description applies equally well to another such building in his native France, the lighthouse at Ar Men.

Located on the small island of the same name, Ar Men is one of various lighthouses off Pointe du Raz, Brittany, an area of dangerous and stormy waters that is nevertheless integral to maritime transportation between the Atlantic and the English Channel via the Raz de Sein pass. Ar Men, however, is the westernmost of the lighthouses; jutting out into the mighty Atlantic Ocean like an accusatory finger, it stands stalwartly against the tempests that roll off the sea, including waves that sometimes bury the over-100-ft-tall tower in a foamy blanket.

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This remote corner of Brittany presents a true “back door” experience for any traveler, requiring determination to get there, either by car (which means braving France’s infamous roads) or via train to Brest, followed by a ferry ride to Ile de Sein (feel adventurous enough after seeing those waves?) or a car ride down to Point du Raz. The rewards, however, seem to outweight the travails.

The lighthouse at Ar Men is an incredibly compelling location that exemplifies in no uncertain way the timeless struggle of Man vs. Nature, making it superb inspiration for a setting. Is the tower a lighthouse or something else? Perhaps it is a water deity’s sacred temple, or an isolated prison with little chance of escape. Maybe it is a wizard’s sanctuary and laboratory, or a first line of defense against the eventual return of a creature from the deep.

Leave a comment if this location inspires your travels or your games.