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.
 The lighthouse in 2009 | |
 | |
| Location | Bengtskär, Dragsfjärd, Kimitoön, Finland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 59°43′24″N 22°29′57″E / 59.723436°N 22.499276°E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1906  |
| Construction | granite (tower), brick |
| Automated | 1968 |
| Height | 45.8 m (150 ft) |
| Shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern attached to 3-1/2-story keeper's house[1] |
| Markings | grey (tower), green (lantern), red (balcony) |
| Power source | kerosene, acetylene, wind turbine |
| Operator | University of Turku |
| Heritage | Cultural Heritage Site of National Significance |
| Light | |
| First lit | 19 December 1906 |
| Focal height | 51 m (167 ft) |
| Range | 10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl(3) W 20s (1994–) |
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
edit
References
edit- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Southwest Finland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "Position". Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "History". Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Meet Paula – the Bengtskär Lighthouse keeper". Visit Finland. Archived from the original on 1 November 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
External links
edit- Bengtskär Lighthouse website (in Swedish, Finnish, and English)
- Bengtskär Lighthouse in Lighthouse Digest's Lighthouse Explorer Database
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