Longwave radio mast Hellissandur, Longwave radio transmitter in Hellissandur, Iceland.
The Longwave radio mast Hellissandur is a 412-meter-tall steel structure on the Snæfellsnes peninsula in western Iceland. The facility consists of a central mast supported by five levels of steel cables with insulators that rise dramatically from the flat surrounding terrain.
The mast was built in 1963 and replaced navigation equipment that previously occupied the same site. The facility transmitted longwave radio signals for ships crossing the North Atlantic until operations ended in 2024.
The mast represented Iceland's dedication to maintaining communication networks, particularly for supporting seafaring communities along the North Atlantic routes.
The structure is visible from nearby roads and stands out dramatically against the landscape, making it easy to spot when exploring the region. The location on the Snæfellsnes peninsula means it can be easily seen from the coastal route that many visitors follow.
For many decades, this was the world's tallest longwave mast and the highest structure in Western Europe. This record status made it a remarkable engineering achievement of its era.
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