Cape Arkona Lighthouse, Lighthouse in Putgarten, Germany
Cape Arkona Lighthouse is a brick tower in Putgarten, Germany, that rises from an octagonal granite base and narrows slightly toward the top. Its round red gallery and red lantern room with a green roof sit above a small arched window, while a shorter square brick building with a dark pyramidal roof stands nearby.
The first lighthouse here was built in the 1820s from a design by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and served until the early 20th century. The current round tower was completed in 1902 and took over the role in 1905, and both structures were restored in 1990 to welcome visitors.
The old square tower nearby now holds a small museum about lighthouses and sea rescue, and it also serves as a registry office where couples can get married. Visitors often combine a climb up the active tower with a look inside this building to learn how the lights have guided ships along the coast.
The tower is reached by a staircase of 175 steps, so allow enough time and wear comfortable shoes for the climb. The viewing platform is open to the public, but it can close for maintenance or bad weather, so check locally before you set out.
The light was originally produced by two carbon arc lamps inside a Fresnel lens system, which was later replaced by incandescent bulbs and then by a metal halide lamp. The tower's brick shaft is unpainted, and its red lantern is topped by a small upper gallery that few people notice from the ground.
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