Hel Lighthouse
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]
 | |
| Location | Hel Pomeranian Voivodeship Poland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 54°36′00.1″N 18°48′46.6″E |
| 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  |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1942 (current) |
| Focal height | 41 metres (135 ft) |
| Range | 17 miles (27 km) |
| Characteristic |  Iso W 5s. |
History
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.
In 1942 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.
Climate
| Climate data for Hel, Poland (near of Hel Lighthouse), elevation: 1 m, 1961–1990 normals and extremes | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.0 (50.0) |
12.9 (55.2) |
20.5 (68.9) |
21.8 (71.2) |
28.0 (82.4) |
31.2 (88.2) |
33.2 (91.8) |
31.8 (89.2) |
27.3 (81.1) |
23.2 (73.8) |
15.9 (60.6) |
11.1 (52.0) |
33.2 (91.8) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 0.9 (33.6) |
1.3 (34.3) |
4.6 (40.3) |
9.4 (48.9) |
15.0 (59.0) |
19.1 (66.4) |
21.1 (70.0) |
21.0 (69.8) |
17.3 (63.1) |
12.2 (54.0) |
6.6 (43.9) |
3.0 (37.4) |
11.0 (51.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.7 (30.7) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
1.7 (35.1) |
5.2 (41.4) |
10.3 (50.5) |
14.7 (58.5) |
16.9 (62.4) |
16.9 (62.4) |
13.7 (56.7) |
9.6 (49.3) |
4.9 (40.8) |
1.4 (34.5) |
7.8 (46.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −2.6 (27.3) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
1.9 (35.4) |
6.2 (43.2) |
10.7 (51.3) |
13.3 (55.9) |
13.4 (56.1) |
10.8 (51.4) |
7.2 (45.0) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
5.0 (41.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −19.1 (−2.4) |
−16.9 (1.6) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
0.2 (32.4) |
5.4 (41.7) |
5.3 (41.5) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
−15.2 (4.6) |
−19.1 (−2.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 37 (1.5) |
28 (1.1) |
27 (1.1) |
30 (1.2) |
43 (1.7) |
56 (2.2) |
70 (2.8) |
72 (2.8) |
61 (2.4) |
48 (1.9) |
56 (2.2) |
46 (1.8) |
574 (22.6) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.3 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 6.8 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 10.0 | 9.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 | 11.4 | 11.0 | 107.6 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 32 | 52 | 107 | 165 | 236 | 249 | 234 | 220 | 143 | 93 | 40 | 26 | 1,597 |
| Source: NOAA[4] | |||||||||||||
Gallery
The spiral staircase (180 steps)_2010-07-13_144.jpg.webp)
The lamp_2010-07-13_147.jpg.webp)
Electronics_2010-07-13_145.jpg.webp)
View from the lighthouse
References
- Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Poland: Baltic Coast". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- "Lighthouse in Hel". www.poland.travel. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- Valle, Władysław Szarski -. "Hel, LATARNIA MORSKA, Helska Tawerna". hela.com.pl. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- "Hel Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
External links
- 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
Lighthouses are listed in a west to east sequence. Italics indicate inactive sites. | ||
| Świnoujście area |  | |
| Baltic coast | ||
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