Akmeņrags Lighthouse

Akmeņrags Lighthouse
Akmeņraga bāka

Location	Saka parish Pāvilosta Municipality Latvia
Coordinates	56°59′54.7″N 21°03′25.7″E
Tower
Constructed	1879 (first)
Construction	limestone tower
Height	125 feet (38 m)
Shape	cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	red tower and lantern
Heritage	National industrial monument
Light
First lit	1921 (current)
Focal height	125 feet (38 m)
Range	18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi)
Characteristic	Fl(2) W 7.5s
Latvia no.	UZ-680[1]

Akmeņrags Lighthouse (Latvian: Akmeņraga bāka) is a lighthouse on the Latvian coast of the Baltic Sea, located to the south of the resort town of Pāvilosta.[2] The lighthouse of Akmeņrags is a key navigation point, in one of the most dangerous spots on the Baltic Sea to navigate by - this is due to several factors: the lighthouse is located by a stony sand bank, which extends by a distance of 2 nautical miles (about 3,7 kilometres) to the north-west of the lighthouse; another point of danger is the depth of the sea - which is on average 2 metres in the lighthouse's vicinity. The location of the lighthouse has remained the same over the decade; however the coast has receded.

History

The lighthouse has seen several shipwrecks during its existence - a notable one being the shipwreck of September 1923; when a famous Latvian steamer Saratow, which housed the Latvian Provisional Government for a period in 1919, struck the ground.[3] The current tower was constructed in 1921, as the previous lighthouse was destroyed during World War I. Currently the lighthouse is open to the public, with its one hundred and twenty six steps reaching up to the viewing gallery.[4]

See also

• List of lighthouses in Latvia

References

1. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Latvia". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
2. "Welcome in Pavilosta". Pavilosta. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
3. "Articles From September 1921". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
4. "Latvian lighthouses - Akmenrags lighthouse". Bakas. Retrieved 10 May 2015.

External links