Bengtskär Lighthouse
 Bengtskär lighthouse in 2010 | |
 | |
| Location | Bengtskär, Dragsfjärd, Kimitoön, Finland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 59°43′25″N 22°29′58″E / 59.723498°N 22.499387°E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1906 |
| Construction | granite tower |
| Automated | 1968  |
| Height | 46 metres (151 ft) |
| Shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern attached to 3-1/2 story keeper’s house |
| Markings | unpainted tower, green roof lantern, red balcony and trim |
| Power source | kerosene, acetylene, wind turbine |
| Operator | University of Turku [1] |
| Heritage | Cultural Heritage Site of National Significance |
| Light | |
| First lit | 19 December 1906 |
| Focal height | 51 metres (167 ft) |
| Range | 10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (3) W 20s. |
Bengtskär lighthouse is located in the Archipelago Sea about 25 kilometers south west of Hanko, Finland.[2] The lighthouse was built in 1906 on the Bengtskär skerry where it rises 52 meters above sea level and is the highest one in the Nordic countries. The lighthouse had been planned for some time, but after the steamer s/s Helsingfors ran aground in 1905 in the vicinity en route from Lübeck to Helsinki resulting in several crew members trapped and drowned on board, the project gained urgency and was completed during the following year. Soviet troops stationed in Hanko during the Continuation War, disturbed by a Finnish observation post in the light house tried to blow up and destroy the lighthouse during the Battle of Bengtskär in 1941.
These days Bengtskär lighthouse is a popular tourist destination[3] and is visited annually by roughly 13 000 to 15 000 tourists.[4] There are some hotel rooms, and a sauna made of granite.[5]
See also
References
- ^ Lighthouses of Southwest Finland
- ^ "Position". Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "History". Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "Tiesitkö: Tämä on erikoisin paikka, missä Suomi ja Neuvostoliitto sotivat". Retrieved 4 January 2012.
- ^ "Meet Paula - the Bengtskär lighthouse keeper". Visit Finland. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
External links
Lighthouses of Finland | |
|---|---|
Italics indicate inactive sites. | |
| Gulf of Finland | |
| Baltic Sea | |
| Archipelago Sea and the Sea of Åland | |
| Bothnian Sea | |
| Bothnian Bay | |
| Former Finnish lighthouses in Russia | |
59°43′24.6″N 22°29′57.8″E / 59.723500°N 22.499389°E
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