Świnoujście Lighthouse

The lighthouse Świnoujście is with 68m the highest lighthouse on the Baltic Sea

It was built between 1854 and 1857 according to plans by Berlin's senior building officer Wilhelm Serverin. After commissioning on January 1, 1859, several Argand lamps, each surrounded by five to six concave mirrors arranged in a semicircle, generated the beacon, which could be seen up to 12 nautical miles in good weather. Rapeseed oil served as an energy source.
After just a few years of operation, however, it became apparent that the chosen octagonal shape and the ceramic tiles used for the outer skin were not able to withstand the rough weather on the coast. It was therefore decided to extensively renovate the lighthouse, which took place between 1902 and 1903. In the course of the construction work, the originally octagonal cross-section was replaced by a round one. The engineers hoped that a round torso would withstand the extreme weather conditions on the coast better than the octagonal predecessor. The fired facing bricks with which the outer shell was now sheathed should also provide better protection from wind and weather. As a result of the renovation work, the lighthouse shrank from 68 to 65 m in height.Swinoujscie was an important base of the German Navy during the Second World War (1939-1945). In order to support the advance of the Red Army from the east, the 8th US Air Force attacked the city on March 12, 1945. In this air raid, bombs barely missed the lighthouse, but severely damaged its outer shell. Nevertheless, the lighthouse could be put back into operation after the end of the war - Swinoujscie now belonged to Poland and was called Świnoujście. However, the bomb damage was not cleared until 1959.
In the nineties of the 20th century, the tower underwent another extensive renovation, which was completed in 2000.

A visit is always worthwhile especially in nice weather. The climb requires a certain level of fitness, 308 steps, is rewarded with a great view over Świnoujście, harbor entrance, entire harbor area, island Wollin and the Baltic Sea not forget!