Bengtskär Lighthouse

Bengtskär lighthouse
Bengtskär
The lighthouse in 2009
Map
LocationBengtskär, Dragsfjärd, Kimitoön, Finland Edit this at Wikidata
Coordinates59°43′24″N 22°29′57″E / 59.723436°N 22.499276°E / 59.723436; 22.499276
Tower
Constructed1906 Edit this on Wikidata
Constructiongranite (tower), brick Edit this on Wikidata
Automated1968 Edit this on Wikidata
Height45.8 m (150 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
Shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lantern attached to 3-1/2-story keeper's house[1]
Markingsgrey (tower), green (lantern), red (balcony) Edit this on Wikidata
Power sourcekerosene, acetylene, wind turbine Edit this on Wikidata
OperatorUniversity of Turku Edit this on Wikidata
HeritageCultural Heritage Site of National Significance Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit19 December 1906 Edit this on Wikidata
Focal height51 m (167 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
Range10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) Edit this on Wikidata
CharacteristicFl(3) W 20s (1994–) Edit this on Wikidata
Bengtskär Lighthouse by night

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

  1. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Southwest Finland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Position". Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  3. ^ "History". Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  4. ^ "Tiesitkö: Tämä on erikoisin paikka, missä Suomi ja Neuvostoliitto sotivat". 19 October 2010. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  5. ^ "Meet Paula – the Bengtskär Lighthouse keeper". Visit Finland. Archived from the original on 1 November 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
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