Description of the attraction
The lighthouse in Klaipeda appeared only at the end of the eighteenth century, in contrast to the river port, which was founded by the knights of the Livonian Order together with the city itself in 1252. The construction of the first lighthouse according to the plans of the engineer Johan Lilenthal was completed in 1796, which gives the right to call it one of the oldest lighthouses in the Baltic Sea. However, the lighthouse, erected on a sandy spit in the picturesque northern bay, turned out to be 9 meters lower than planned by the architect, 25 meters. Due to the lack of money allocated for the lighthouse, the builders had to build only a 16-meter tower.
The light-optical device of which was made of bronze reflectors, in the amount of six pieces, reflecting the brilliance of oil lamps. The lighthouse shone only at a distance of 4 km (about two nautical miles) and then in clear weather, which, naturally, was not enough for the needs of the city. And in 1819, it was decided to build on the lighthouse, since in its existing form there was no benefit from it. During the reconstruction, all light-optical equipment was also completely replaced by that time with the most modern devices. Now the light from the lighthouse could be seen at a distance of 30 km, which is about 16 nautical miles. In addition, other options for optical signals were present at the lighthouse. For example, a red flag hung over a lighthouse meant danger. And the ships sailing by knew that it was undesirable and unsafe to be in the port. And the yellow flag, on the contrary, spoke of complete safety, and the ship could freely enter the port. Since 1937, radio signals have been sent from the Klaipeda lighthouse.
Until the outbreak of World War II, the lighthouse was very popular with tourists. And it was also a favorite place for walks of the townspeople, which gave him every right to be called the symbol of the city. At that time, Klaipeda lighthouse was called "red" because it was painted with alternating red and white squares. Today the lighthouse is covered in black and white stripes. A special observation deck was installed on the tower with a beautiful panoramic view of the city and the sea.
During the Second World War, the city of Klaipeda almost lost its symbol. At the very end of the war, the lighthouse was blown up by the retreating German army. After the end of hostilities, it was restored, and after several years it was improved - completely rebuilt.
Nowadays, not many things remind of the old old lighthouse. And one of the surviving reminders is the four-meter-high inner part of the building, around which a new lighthouse has grown. Nowadays, the Klaipeda lighthouse is raised on a specialized supporting reinforced concrete tower over 44 meters in height. And from such an impressive pedestal, the lighthouse can send more than just light signals. A sophisticated modern satellite navigation system is located inside the lighthouse, with tremendous benefits for the entire region. Unfortunately, the lighthouse is closed for tourist and sightseeing visits. What does not make it less interesting is that anyone can enjoy the view of the lighthouse from the outside. It doesn't matter whether in the afternoon or in the evening, the lighthouse is equally attractively beautiful and slowly awaits new guests.
In addition to the Klaipeda lighthouse, at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, another lighthouse was built, which has not survived to this day. Erected in 1884, almost at the very end of the northern breakwater, a small lighthouse illuminated the cold darkness with red light. It was constantly painted white, so the townspeople called it among themselves a white or small lighthouse. In tribute to the memory of the northern and small distant lighthouse, they began to print it on 200 litas banknotes.
