Hel Lighthouse

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Hel Lighthouse
Latarnia Morska Hel

Location	Hel Pomeranian Voivodeship Poland
Coordinates	54°36′00.1″N 18°48′46.6″E / 54.600028°N 18.812944°E / 54.600028; 18.812944
Tower
Constructed	1670 (first) 1790 (second) 1827 (third)
Height	40 metres (130 ft)
Shape	tapered octagonal tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	red tower and lantern
Heritage	immovable monument in Poland
Light
First lit	1942 (current)
Focal height	41 metres (135 ft)
Range	17 miles (27 km)
Characteristic	Iso W 5s.

Hel Lighthouse (Polish: Latarnia Morska Hel) is an active lighthouse in the town of Hel, Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is situated at the eastern tip of the Hel Peninsula and guides ship traffic into Gdańsk Bay and the Bay of Puck.^[1]

The lighthouse on Hel has its origins in the 16th century when a fire was lit on the church tower at a height of 116 ft (35 m) to guide ships. The structure burned down. In 1638 locals asked Gdańsk authorities to build a lighthouse on the peninsula. After deliberation, a wooden structure was erected circa 1640, with a range of about 6 mi (9.7 km). This lighthouse burned down in 1667.

Two further attempts at construction failed as well. However, seafaring in this area of the Baltic remained hazardous, so around 1790 another effort was made. A site was allocated, including a lighthouse-keeper's residence. The light was to be lit every day.

Though effectiveness improved, the lighthouse soon faced the problem of being obscured by growing trees. The construction of the first brick lighthouse started in 1806. Due to civil wars the effort dragged on until 1826.^[2]

The brick lighthouse wasn't high enough and ships continued to sink between Jastarnia and Hel. A cannon was placed at the lighthouse, fired every four minutes, as a sound signal. This continued until the gunner died in 1910. A stone commemorates the event to this day.

More improvements followed. The light source switched to a paraffin lamp and the structure was renovated. Electric light was installed in 1938 in the form of a 3000 watt bulb. During World War II Germans decided to take down the structure, since it presented a perfect target for air raids.^{[dubious – discuss]}

In 1942^{[dubious – discuss]} Germans ordered locals to erect a new lighthouse. It stood 10 meters to the southeast from the old one (now detonated). The new structure was modern, powered by electricity, and it's been in operation to this day.^[3]

The 40.8-meter tower is painted red and octagonal in shape. The light source is a 1000 watt bulb, set 38.5 meters above sea level, with a range of 17 miles. The lighthouse is also a part of an air traffic control system.

The lighthouse is a tourist attraction and open to the public during summer. Apart from the lighthouse itself, a few keeper houses remain, dating back to 19th century. Facing west, inland, one can see the Swedish Hill with an old lighthouse built during World War II to replace the one destroyed in Hel at the same time.

• 
  The spiral staircase (180 steps)
• 
  The lamp
• 
  Electronics
• 
  View from the lighthouse

• List of lighthouses in Poland

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hel Lighthouse.

• The Lighthouses of Poland
• Urząd Morski w Słupsku Archived 17 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine (in Polish)
• Hel Lighthouse - Latarnia morska (Hel) na portalu polska-org.pl (in Polish)
• Hel – Travel guide at Wikivoyage