Slītere lighthouse
Slītere Lighthouse (Latvian: Slīteres bāka), is an inactive lighthouse located on the Latvian coast of the Baltic Sea.
| Slītere lighthouse | |
| Location | Dundaga, Latvia |
| Year first constructed | 1849 |
| Year first lit | 1961 |
| Deactivated | 1999 |
| Construction | limestone tower |
| Tower shape | large cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | red tower |
| Tower height | 24 metres (79 ft) |
| Focal height | 82 metres (269 ft) |
History
The lighthouse was built between 1849–1850; however the area historically, since the eleventh century, has been a site of plunderers who lit misleading signal-fires to confuse passing ships, causing them to run aground, once wrecked they would be raided of their cargo. The site of the lighthouse may have been an ancient holy place as old maps refer to the locality as Temple Mount (Domkalns), and Church Hill (Baznīckalns). Towards the end of the nineteenth century Baron Osten-Sacken cut-down a number of trees; making this a key-location spot for fishermen in the area; which is why the 24 metre stone lighthouse was built there between 1849–1850. The lighthouse is located in the Slītere National Park, which now maintains the lighthouse and its surroundings. The light has a focal height of 82 metres above sea level, making it the highest light in Latvia until it was deactivated in 1999. The lighthouse is the second oldest in Latvia, the oldest being that of Ovisi which first entered service in 1814.
en.wikipedia.org
The Slītere lighthouse was constructed in 1850, but far back in the 11th century, this place was notorious for misleading bonfires made to deceive sailors and plunder their stranded ships afterwards. Also, this has possibly been an ancient holy place, since the old maps name it as the Temple Mount (Domkalns) or Church Hill (Baznīckalns). Toward the middle of the 19th century, the local Baron Osten-Zakens cut out big trees at the tip of a cliff, which served as a landmark for seamen. Therefore, it was decided to build a lighthouse here, and in 1850 a 26 m tall round stone-wall lighthouse tower was erected. Among other Latvia’s lighthouses, the Slītere lighthouse is the most distant from the shore (5.3 km away); however, till 1999 it had the highest light above the sea level and even reached the height of 102 meters. Today the Slītere lighthouse is under the jurisdiction of the Slītere National Park administration, it includes an observation platform and a mini-exhibition on the history of lighthouses in Latvia. The Slītere lighthouse is the second oldest navigational construction preserved on the territory of Latvia.
Andris Cekuls
bakas.lv/en
