Anholt Lighthouse, lighthouse
Anholt Lighthouse is a white-striped tower standing 42 meters (138 feet) tall on a small Danish island in the middle of the Kattegat strait. The structure is built from brick with a simple design and uses modern electric lamps with special lenses that make the light visible from far distances to guide ships safely.
A fire beacon was first placed on Anholt island in 1560, making it one of the earliest navigation aids in Denmark, using simple braziers fueled by wood. The current lighthouse was built in 1788 and has guided ships through these dangerous waters for over 230 years.
The Anholt Lighthouse is a symbol of Denmark's maritime heritage and the connection between sailors and the small island community. The structure represents the long tradition of protecting ships and people who depend on the sea for their livelihoods and survival.
The lighthouse sits at the eastern tip of Anholt island about 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the harbor, accessible by walking or biking through dune areas with no paved roads. Bring comfortable shoes, water, and food, as there are no shops or drinking water available along the way, and visitors must carry all waste back with them.
Early lighthouses used fire in simple pans with keepers burning fish oil and tallow, but the Fresnel lens was developed to amplify light far beyond previous methods. This invention, first used at Denmark's Kronborg lighthouse in the mid-1800s, transformed navigation by making light visible from many more miles away.
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