World of Lighthouses

New photos of lighthouses every day

Instagram

Mi?·e??b??ka (Mikeltornis) lighthouse
C3476; ARLHS LAT-010

Find all pictures of this light
Mi?·e??b??ka (Mikeltornis) lighthouse
This is the tallest lighthouse in Latvia, or indeed in any of the three Baltic republics. The original lighthouse was patched up after being damaged in World War I, but it had to be demolished in 1932. Its replacement was destroyed during World War II and replaced in 1946 by a temporary wood tower. Located just off the coastal P124 highway about 12 km (7.5 mi) west of Lielirbe. Site open; tower open somedays.
---
Legends tell that the name ???Mikelbaka??? dates back to 1749, when the dangerous shoal of the local coast was surveyed by Mikhail Ryabinin, the midshipman of the Russian Navy. As time passed, the name was changed to a Latvian word ???Mikelis???, and now represents the tallest (56 meters) lighthouse tower in the Baltic States, located opposite the mentioned shoal. The lighthouse was misconstructed in 1884 when it started to lean from the vertical axis by 12 centimetres and crack because of the heavy weight and marshy ground; therefore, it was exploded in 1932. The next tower was demolished by the storms of World War II in 1941. The present-day Mi?·e??b??ka lighthouse was built in 1957 as indicated in the sign above its front door. Two hundred and ninety three steps lead to the top of the lighthouse, rewarding each conqueror with a view overlooking the surrounding Kurzeme coast of the Baltic Sea and a lighthouse on the Syrve peninsula of Saaremaa, which can be seen in fine weather at a distance of 35 km.
Keywords: Latvia;Kurzeme;Gulf of Riga

This is the tallest lighthouse in Latvia, or indeed in any of the three Baltic republics. The original lighthouse was patched up after being damaged in World War I, but it had to be demolished in 1932. Its replacement was destroyed during World War II and replaced in 1946 by a temporary wood tower. Located just off the coastal P124 highway about 12 km (7.5 mi) west of Lielirbe. Site open; tower open somedays.
---
Legends tell that the name ???Mikelbaka??? dates back to 1749, when the dangerous shoal of the local coast was surveyed by Mikhail Ryabinin, the midshipman of the Russian Navy. As time passed, the name was changed to a Latvian word ???Mikelis???, and now represents the tallest (56 meters) lighthouse tower in the Baltic States, located opposite the mentioned shoal. The lighthouse was misconstructed in 1884 when it started to lean from the vertical axis by 12 centimetres and crack because of the heavy weight and marshy ground; therefore, it was exploded in 1932. The next tower was demolished by the storms of World War II in 1941. The present-day Mi?·e??b??ka lighthouse was built in 1957 as indicated in the sign above its front door. Two hundred and ninety three steps lead to the top of the lighthouse, rewarding each conqueror with a view overlooking the surrounding Kurzeme coast of the Baltic Sea and a lighthouse on the Syrve peninsula of Saaremaa, which can be seen in fine weather at a distance of 35 km.

Rate this file (Current rating : 5 / 5 with 2 votes)
File information
Album name:Belsar / Latvia
Rating (2 votes):55555(Show details)
Current status (active, not active, museum etc):Active
Construction details (year of built, shape etc):1957 (station established 1885). Watched light. Round cylindrical concrete block tower with lantern and double gallery, rising from a 2-story octagonal pyramidal base. Lighthouse painted white; lantern roof and gallery rail painted red.
Height of the tower, m:56 Focal plane elevation above sea level, m:59
Light Description (light sectors, colour of the light, number of flashes etc):Group flashing, 2 flashes in 6s, flash 1s, eclipse 1s, white
Range, nm:14 nmi
Any other comments:Racon(M).[0.03-x]. Sector of reception 0.00-360.00. Maximum range-20.00M. Bands: 0.03-X, 0.1-S. Historical information taken from http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/ and http://www.bakas.lv
Coordinates (in any format):57.599781, 21.974421
Displayed:846 times
Date added:Mar 26, 2013
Keywords:Latvia / Kurzeme / Gulf of Riga
Download Picture:For registered users only
Add your comment
Anonymous comments are not allowed here. Log in to post your comment
Lacu.jpg 03_02_Lacu.JPG 03_04_Lacu.JPG Mikelbaka.JPG mikeltornis_venspils.jpg mikelbaka2.jpg mikeltornis_venspils1.jpg