Świnoujście Lighthouse

Świnoujście Lighthouse (Latarnia Morska Świnoujście) is an active lighthouse in Świnoujście, Poland. At a height of 212 ft it is the fifteenth tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world, as well as the tallest brick lighthouse, and the tallest in Poland. It is located on the east bank of the river Świna just inside the entrance.

History
The first lighthouse in the location was built in 1828 when the town was part of the Kingdom of Prussia and called Swinemünde. The current structure is from 1857. The cross-section of the entire 1857 tower was octagonal. However, in 1902–1903 the tower was restored to repair spalled brickwork. This converted the shape of the tower above the first gallery to the current round shape.

The tower was damaged during World War II. In 1945, during the retreat of the German troops, an order was given to destroy the lighthouse. However, the German keeper refused the order and the tower survived. The damage was only repaired in 1959, some fourteen years after the town was annexed by Poland.

In 1998–2000, for the new Millennium, the lighthouse was restored. It was reopened to the public in August 2000, along with a lighthouse museum in the keeper's house.

Construction
The tower is built of yellow bricks and is unpainted. The base of the tower is octagonal with a gallery. The tower itself is round with a second gallery and a lantern. In clear weather the view from the top gallery is about 45 km. Adjacent to the tower is a 2-story brick keeper's house and a museum.

There are 300 steps up to the second gallery.

Visiting
The museum and tower are open Monday through Friday.