Bengtskär

Bengtskär

The Bengtskär lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction
Geography
Location Gulf of Finland, Archipelago Sea
Coordinates 59°43′23″N 22°29′56″E / 59.72306°N 22.49889°E / 59.72306; 22.49889Coordinates: 59°43′23″N 22°29′56″E / 59.72306°N 22.49889°E / 59.72306; 22.49889
Archipelago Turku
Area 002 km2 (0.77 sq mi)[1]
Country
Province Southwest Finland
Demographics
Population 1
Additional information
Official website www.bengtskar.fi
Bengtskär Lighthouse by night

Bengtskär is a skerry 25 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of Hanko, and part of the municipality of Dragsfjärd. This rocky skerry is the southernmost inhabited place in Finland, and is reached by ferry from the village of Kasnäs. The island has an area of about two hectares,[1] and only a small part of it is covered with vegetation, the rest is a naked granite.

The Bengtskär lighthouse on the skerry is the highest one in the Nordic countries, with a tower height of (46 m or 151 ft).[2] The lighthouse is owned by the Foundation of the University of Turku. Annually the island attracts over 13 000 tourists.[3]

On July 26, 1941, during the Continuation War Soviet troops attempted to capture and blow up the lighthouse, but the Finnish garrison managed to repel the attack. The lighthouse was not destroyed but damaged.[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Elina Auri. Ilman kiinteää tieyhteyttä olevat pysyvästi asutut saaret. (fi) Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Lighthouses of Southern Finland". www.unc.edu. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Tiesitkö: Tämä on erikoisin paikka, missä Suomi ja Neuvostoliitto sotivat. Studio55.fi Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  4. ↑ "History". www.bengtskar.fi. Retrieved May 4, 2015.

External links


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