Bengtskär Lighthouse

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 on New Year's Day in 1905 in the vicinity en route from Lübeck to Helsinki resulting in the death of two crew members and several others trapped 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.

Bengtskär lighthouse
Bengtskär

The lighthouse in 2009
Location	Bengtskär, Dragsfjärd, Kimitoön, Finland
Coordinates	59°43′24″N 22°29′57″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–)

Bengtskär Lighthouse by night

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

• Finland portal

• Battle of Bengtskär