Slītere Lighthouse () is an inactive
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
located on the
Latvia
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
n coast of the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...
.
History
The
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
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
In transportation, cargo refers to goods transported by land, water or air, while freight refers to its conveyance. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in cas ...
. 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
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
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
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
was built there between 1849–1850. The lighthouse is located in the
Slītere National Park
Slītere National Park () is a national park in Talsi Municipality, Courland, on the west coast of Latvia. Although formally established in 2000, it is based on the former Slītere Nature Reserve, one of the oldest nature reserves in Baltic State ...
, 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
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
, the oldest being that of
Ovisi which first entered service in 1814.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Latvia
This is a list of lighthouses in Latvia. They mark the western coast of the country, which includes parts of the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Riga, and the Irbe Strait which connects the gulf to the Baltic.
Latvian lighthouses date from the Russian Im ...
References
External links
Lighthouses completed in 1850
Resort architecture in Latvia
Lighthouses in Latvia
Talsi Municipality
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