Lighthouses of Sweden: Göteborg Area

This page lists lighthouses of the greater Göteborg area in southwestern Sweden, including four municipalities in the southern part of the county of Västra Götaland: Tjörn, Stenungsund, Kungälv, and Göteborg. This coast faces west on the Kattegat and the Oresund, sounds separating Sweden and Denmark. Scania, the southernmost county of Sweden, also faces south and southeast on the Baltic Sea.

The Swedish word for a lighthouse is fyr. The front light of a range is the nedrefyr (lower light) and the rear light is the övrefyr (upper light). Aids to navigation in Sweden are maintained by the Swedish Maritime Administration (Sjöfartsverket). Many of the major lighthouses have resident attendents, and guided tours can often be arranged. The Swedish Lighthouse Society (Svenska Fyrsällskapet) works for the preservation of the lighthouses.

I'm indebted to Michel Forand for providing excellent information for this page, including information from one of the books in his collection: Viktoria Ask and Maria Sidén, Fyrguide från Kattholmen till Smygehuk (2000).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. SV numbers are from the Sjöfarsverket light list (Fyrlista) as reported by the Swedish Lighthouse Society. Admiralty numbers are from volume C of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 116.

What's Hot:

Vinga Fyr, August 2006
anonymous Creative Commons photo

General Sources
Swedish Lighthouse Society (Svenska Fyrsällskapet, SFA): The Society has a large web site, and some of the information is available in English as well as Swedish. An interactive map links to pdf pages (in Swedish) for the major lighthouses, and there is a list of photos available.
Lighthouse Pages from Anke and Jens - Sweden: Photos and brief accounts (in English) by two German lighthouse fans.
Henning Jensen's Lighthouse Pages: Photos and comments for about 20 lighthouses, posted by an employee of the Maritime Administration who helps maintain the lighthouses.
Swedish Lighthouse Selection Page: Photos posted by Pete Amass.
Fyrar: Photos taken from the seaposted by Bosse Arnholm.
Schwedische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten: Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.


Tjörn Area Lighthouses Räbbehuvud: 1933. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Upper2/3 of the lighthouse painted white, lower 1/3 black. Located on the southern tip of an island about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of Ångeviken. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C0464; NGA 0616.
Gåsskär: 1930. Active; focal plane 4 m (13 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted white, mounted on a concrete base. No photo available. Located on a point of land about 800 m (1/2 mi) south of Ångeviken. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C0472; NGA 0628.
* Sankt Olafs Övre: 1904. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); quick-flashing white light visible only on the range line. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white with a red roof, mounted on a small concrete pad. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall. The range guides vessels northward into the harbor of Kyrkesund. Located on a bluff on the south side of Kyrkesund; accessible by a short walk from town. Site open, tower closed. SV-8146; Admiralty C0482.1; NGA 0652.
Eggskär: 1904. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 8 m (26 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, and another photo by Björn Edlund is available. The Hillberg photo also shows what appears to be an older stone beacon, painted white with one black horizontal band. Located on a skerry about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) west of Klädesholmen. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-121; SV-8120; Admiralty C0486; NGA 0664.
Berlin: 1917. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); two flashes every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted white with a red roof, mounted on a small concrete pad. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, and another photo by Björn Edlund is available. Located on a skerry about 1 km (0.6 mi) south southeast of Klädesholmen. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-092; SV-8115; Admiralty C0490; NGA 0680.
* Åstol Hamn: Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; two flashes every 8 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted white with a red roof, mounted on a small concrete pad. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. Åstol is an island off the southern tip of the island of Tjorn. The harbor of Åstol is a fjord cutting into the northeast corner of the island. Located on the south side of the harbor. Site open, tower closed.
* Åstol: 1968. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); two flashes every 8 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted white with a red roof. Located on the southern tip of Åstol. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C0490.6; NGA 0684.
Hakefjord Lighthouses
Note: The Hakefjord provides a protected waterway running north to south on the east side of Tjörn.
Snöholmarna (2): Date unknown (station established 1920s). Active; focal plane 5 m (17 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall. Located on the southern tip of an island south of Stenungsön, in the northern end of the Hakefjord. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-358; SV-7970; Admiralty C0503.6; NGA 0756.
Älgö (2): 1946 (station established 1894). Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); quick-flashing light , white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted white, mounted on a circular concrete pad. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. The island of Älgö, extending from east to west, nearly closes off the southern entrance to the Hakefjord. Located at the western end of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C0501; NGA 0732.
Marstrand Area Lighthouses Backebådan: 1988. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower and gallery are unpainted concrete; in a reverse of the usual Scandinavian pattern, the lantern is painted red with a white roof. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. Located on a shoal halfway between the islands of Dyrön and Instön, about 3 km (1.8 mi) northeast of Marstrand. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-089; SV-7956; Admiralty C0500; NGA 0731.
* Marstrand Havn (2): 1914 (station established 1868). Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); three flashes every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) octagonal lantern and gallery, mounted on a round concrete base. Entire lighthouse painted white. SFA has a photo by S. Björnson and another photo by T. Knudson. Located at the western tip of Koön, marking the northern entrance to the harbor of Marstrand. Accessible by road. SV-7937; Admiralty C0494; NGA 0720.
* Skallen: 1944. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white, red or green light, depending on direction, 2 s on, 2 s off. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. SFA has a photo by S. Björnson, and another photo by Bengt Ekeholt is available. Located at the western tip of Carlsten Fästning, an island just to the west of Marstrand and accessible by ferry from Marstrand. Accessible by hiking from the village on the island. Site open, tower closed. SV-7931; Admiralty C0493; NGA 0712.
*** Carlstens Fästning (Karlsten Fortress): 1781. Inactive since 1868. Large round cylindrical stone tower rising from a 17th century fortress. The fortress was built by King Carl X Gustav after the Treaty of Roskilde transferred Bohuslän from Norway to Sweden in 1658. The great round tower was added in the 1680s. The light was displayed from a short tower also seen in an 1867 engraving. The light was deactivated in 1868 in favor of the Pater Noster lighthouse. An aerial photo suggests that part of the base of the light tower may survive. Located on the hilltop behind Marstrand, on the island of Carlsten Fästning. The fortress is open for tours and can be rented for dinners and conferences. Site open, fortress open daily June through August and on weekends the rest of the year. Site manager: Carlstens Fästning.

Pater Noster (Hamneskär): 1868 (Nils Gustaf von Heidenstam). Inactive since 1977 and removed for restoration in 2002; scheduled to be returned and reactivated in June 2007. 32 m (105 ft) pyramidal cast iron skeletal tower with lantern, gallery, and central cylinder. Lighthouse painted red. 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house and other light station buildings, also painted red. Original 1° Fresnel lens on display at the Bohusläns Museum in Uddevalla. SFA has a photo of the station by E. Hillberg, and Huelse has a historic postcard view of the station. Hamneskär is a skerry in the Skagerrak about 7 km (4.5 mi) west of Marstrand. Deactivated in favor of the new Hätteberget Fyr in 1977, the historic lighthouse was in poor condition by the 1990s. A preservation group, Pater Nosters Vänner, was formed, and the Bohusläns Museum agreed to manage the restoration effiort. Funds for restoration were secured and the lighthouse was dismantled and transported to Uddevalla. There it was discovered that the tower was in much worse shape than had been thought, and the funds available were insufficient for the repairs needed. Two years were needed to organize a larger effort. In 2004, a restoration agreement was signed between local and state agencies, the museum, and the firm of Pharmadule Emtunga. The lighthouse is to be reassembled and reactivated on Hamneskär in 2007. A photo taken July 1, 2007, shows the lighthouse on the wharf at Marstrand, ready for its return. Since 2002, a temporary light (focal plane 15 m (49 ft); continuous white light) has been shown from a skeletal tower seen in SFA's photo by C. Lagerwall (seen in the foreground is apparently a model of the lighthouse). Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-176; SV-7925.01; Admiralty C0489.5; NGA 0700.

Pater Noster Fyr
Bohusläns Museum photo by Börje Andersson

Hätteberget: 1977. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); two long (1.5 s) flashes every 12 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 26 m (85 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, upper and lower galleries, and a helipad above the lantern. Upper half of lighthouse painted red, lower half black. SFA has a photo by G. Molin. Located about 8 km (5 mi) west southwest of Marstrand and 3.5 km (2.2 mi) south of Hamneskär. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-028; SV-7925; Admiralty C0489; NGA 0708.
Lönnbäcken: 1937. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 12.5 m (41 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with octagonal lantern and gallery, mounted on a conical stone base. Lighthouse painted white with one narrow black horizontal band. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, and another good photo is available. Located on a rock off the southwestern tip of Klåverön, about 3 km (2 mi) southwest of Marstrand. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-266; SV-7908; Admiralty C0521; NGA 0872.
Lekskär (2): 1897 (station established 1884) . Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white. Behind the lighthouse is a remarkable daybeacon, a square pyramidal wood tower about 16 km (52 ft) high, painted in a black and white checkerboard pattern. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, and another good photo of the daybeacon is available. The original lighthouse, a wood tower, was destroyed by fire. Located on a skerry about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Klåverön and about 5 km (3 mi) south of Marstrand. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-236; SV-7898; Admiralty C0520; NGA 0876.
Sälö Knapp (Sälöknapp): 1946. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); four flashes every 12 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7.5 m (25 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with octagonal lantern and gallery, painted white. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. Located on a rock in an area crowded with small islands about 5 km (3 mi) southeast of Klåverön and the same distance southwest of Kovikshamn on the mainland. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7887; Admiralty C0524; NGA 0880.
Sälö (3): 1946 (station established 1884). Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); quick-flashing light, white, red or green depending on direction. Tower, probably with lantern and gallery, painted white. No photo available. Located about 1.7 km (1.1 mi) southwest of the Sälöknapp light. Site status unknown. Admiralty C0525; NGA 0884.
Hjuvik and Hönö Area Lighthouses Stora Pölsan: 1934. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on, 6 s off. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with one black horizontal band. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall. Located on a small island in the Skagerrak (here near its junction with the Kattegat) about 5 km (3 mi) west of Rörö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7915; Admiralty C0523; NGA 0888.
Stora Oset (2): 1913 (station established 1893). Active; focal plane 12.5 m (41 ft); three flashes every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) round lantern and gallery, painted white, mounted on a round concrete base. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. Located on a skerry about 800 m (1/2 mi) south of the harbor of Hyppeln, on the island of the same name. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7918; Admiralty C0528; NGA 0916.
* Björkö Nedre: 1884. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off; the white light is intensified on the range line. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white with a red roof. This is the front light of a range that guides vessels southbound into the sounds between Björkö on the east and the islands of Hälsö and Öckerö on the west. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, and another photo is available. Located on the western tip of Björkö. Site open, tower closed. SV-7858; Admiralty C0532; NGA 0928.
* Hälsö Övre: 1884. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); quick-flashing white light. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern mounted on a round concrete base. Lantern painted white. SFA has a photo by C. Magnusson. The range guides vessels northbound in the strait between Hälsö and Björkö. Located on a rise on the northwest side of Hälsö, 750 m (1/2 mi) northwest of the front light (next entry). Site open, tower closed. SV-7836.01; Admiralty C0536.1; NGA 0940.
* Hälsö Nedre: 1884. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on, 2 s off. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern white with a green roof. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall, and another photo is available. Located on a point of land at the eastern end of the town of Hälsö, on the island of the same name. Site open, tower closed. SV-7836; Admiralty C0536; NGA 0936.
* Lilla Varholmen Övre (2): 1927 (station established 1889). Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off, synchronized with the front light. 5 m (17 ft) round lantern and gallery, painted white, mounted on a round concrete base. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. Located in the town of Hjuvik, on the southwest side of the island of Lilla Varholmen. Site open, tower closed. SV-7928.01; Admiralty C0552.1; NGA 0964.
* Stora Varholmen (2): 1966 (station established 1884) . Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two long (2 s) flashes every 12 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white with a red roof. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall. Located on a bluff on the southwest side of the island of Stora Varholmen, southwest of Hjuvik. The island is accessible by ferry from Hjuvik. Site open, tower closed. SV-7616; Admiralty C0556; NGA 0968.
* Tångudden: 1932. Active; focal plane 5 m (17 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 5 m (17 ft) round lantern and gallery, painted white, mounted on a round concrete base. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall. Located on the eastern point of the island of Hönö, where it helps guide ferries arriving from Hjuvik. Site open, tower closed. SV-7842; Admiralty C0558; NGA 0972.
Fötö: 1991. Active; focal plane 6 m (20 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower, painted white with a blue roof. The light is shown through a square opening. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall. This light guides westbound vessels approaching the bridge that joins the islands of Hönö and Fötö. Located on an islet just east of the bridge. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7625; Admiralty C0573.5; NGA 0942.
Hönö Huvud: 1904. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted white. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall. Located on a skerry about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) southwest of the western point of Hönö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7828; Admiralty C0560; NGA 0992.
Tynneskär: 1941. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) 2-stage round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with a black horizontal band at the base. Ingmar Jernberg has a photo, and SFA has a distant view by Jonas Andersson. Located just off the southwest coast of Hönö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7808; Admiralty C0562.6; NGA 1000.
* Klåva (Hönö): 1930. Active; focal plane 4.5 m (15 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on, 2 s off. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern and gallery, painted white, mounted on a round concrete base. SFA has a photo by Jonas Andersson, and a photo by Stefan Isaksson is also available. Located on the east side of the entrance to Hönö harbor, on the south side of the island. Site open, tower closed. SV-7809; Admiralty C0563; NGA 1004.
Benskär: 1946. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); three flashes every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white. No photo available. Located on a skerry about 2 km (1.2 mi) southwest of Hönö and the same distance west of Fotö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7806; Admiralty C0562; NGA 1012.
Måvholmsbådan: 1991. Inactive since 2004. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with one green horizontal band. A closeup photo is available, and SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall. Located about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Stora Valholmen and 3 km (2 mi) east of Fotö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7623; Admiralty C0578.8; NGA 0980.

Vinga Area Lighthouses
**** Vinga (3): 1890 (station established 1841). Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); two white flashes, separated by 7.5 s, every 30 s. 29 m (95 ft) square granite tower with lantern and gallery; original 1° Fresnel lens in use. The lighthouse is unpainted stone; lantern dome is gray metallic. Near the lighthouse is a large square pyramidal daymark, painted red, that survives from the early 19th century. A photo appears at the top of this page, and Huelse has a historic postcard view. Vinga is the traditional landfall light, not just for Göteborg but for all of Sweden. Along with Skagen Fyr on the Danish side it marks the entrance to the Kattegat and the Baltic for ships arriving from the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. A "lightkeeper's village" surrounds the lighthouse, with several keeper's houses and other structures, including the house where Swedish poet Evert Taube, a son of a keeper, was born in 1890 (the same year the lighthouse was built). The historic tower began to deteriorate when it was automated in 1974. Ten years later, the Vännerna av Vinga (Friends of Vinga) was organized to work for preservation of the lighthouse and other buildings. Today Vinga is one of the most popular attractions of the Swedish coast, readily accessible by passenger ferry from Göteborg. Located in the entrance to the Kattegat 18 km (11 mi) due west of Göteborg. Site open, tower open for climbing during the summer season. ARLHS SEW-076; SV-7547; Admiralty C0565; NGA 1020.
* Vinga (2): 1854 (station established 1841). Inactive since 1890. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical stone tower; lantern removed. Upper half of the lighthouse painted red, lower half white. This tower is centered in a photo of the Vinga lighthouse village. The lighthouse was built to accompany the 1841 lighthouse and provide a double light on Vinga. (Only foundation ruins remain of the 1841 tower.) Located a short distance southeast of the present lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-421.
* Vinga Östra Övre (East Range Rear): 1896. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); red light occulting once every 4 s, synchronized with the front light. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) square wood tower on pilings, surmounted by a square slatted daymark; the light is shown through a rectangular window. Lighthouse painted black with one white horizontal band. This light appears to the left of the 1854 tower in a photo of the Vinga lighthouse village, and SFA has a closeup photo by C. Lagerwall. Site open, tower closed. SV-7586.1; Admiralty C0566.1; NGA 1052.
* Vinga Östra Nedre (East Range Front): 1896. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red light occulting once every 4 s, synchronized with the rear light. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. This appears in the left foreground in a photo of the Vinga lighthouse village, and SFA has a closeup photo by C. Lagerwall. Site open, tower closed. SV-7586; Admiralty C0566; NGA 1048.
Vinga Ungar: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); three flashes every 8 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 13 m (43 ft) post light mounted on a round cylindrical tower with gallery. Lighthouse painted white with one black horizontal band at the base. SFA has a closeup photo by C. Lagerwall. Located on an isolated rock 730 m (0.45 mi) northwest of the Vinga lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7581; Admiralty C0564; NGA 1044.
Viten: 1896. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white, red or green light, depending on direction, 3 s on, 3 s off. 11 m (36 ft) round, broadly conical stone tower with lantern. Lighthouse painted white. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. This light guides vessels approaching Vinga from Göteborg. Located about 1 km (0.6 mi) east northeast of Vinga. Accessible only by boat, but there are good views from the passenger ferries to Vinga. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-217; SV-7578; Admiralty C0567; NGA 1040.
Trubaduren: 1965. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); three very long (3 s) flashes every 30 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 26 m (85 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with upper and lower galleries and a helipad on top. Upper half of the lighthouse painted red, lower half black. SFA has a photo by G. Molin. Located on a shoal about 3 km (1.8 mi) southeast of Vinga. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-070; SV-7552; Admiralty C0569; NGA 1024.
Göteborg Western Approach Lighthouses
Note: The best way to see these lighthouses is from one of the Stena Line ferries crossing the north end of the Kattegat between Göteborg and Frederikshavn, Denmark.
Buskärs Knöte (2): 1964 (station established 1841). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three flashes every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted red; lantern roof painted white. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. Located on a rock about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southeast of Fotö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-111; SV-7612; Admiralty C0570; NGA 1064.
Böttö (1): 1841. Inactive since 1991. Lantern centered on the roof of a 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house. Lantern painted red, house painted red and white. Huelse has a historic postcard view. Located on a tiny island about 400 m (1/4 mi) due west of the western tip of Galterö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed.
Böttö (2): 1991 (station established 1841). Active; characteristics unknown. Approx. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with one green horizontal band under the gallery. A good photo is available; note the Trubaduran lighthouse visible in the distance. Located adjacent to the historic lighthouse, on a tiny island about 400 m (1/4 mi) due west of the western tip of Galterö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7608; Admiralty C0571.
Vasskärsgrund: 1983. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); very quick-flashing light, white, red or green depending on direction, interrupted once every 8 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and double gallery. Lighthouse painted white with a red horizontal band between the galleries. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg and a second photo by C. Lagerwall. Located about 400 m (1/4 mi) northwest of the western tip of Galterö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7651; Admiralty C0571.6; NGA 1080.
[Brandnäsbrotten]: Date unknown (station established 1886). Inactive since 2006. This is, or was, a round lantern mounted on a round concrete base; lantern painted white, base green. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. According to the Sjöfartsverket in July 2006, the lighthouse "has been demolished...and a green floodlighted beacon remains." This may mean the lantern was removed, but the green base remains. More information is needed. Located on the south side of the Göteborg approach channel and about 400 m (1/4 mi) north of Galterö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-7654; Admiralty C0572; NGA 1084.

* Rune: Date unknown. Inactive (since 1962?). Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. SFA has a photo by Jonas Andersson. It appears that the lighthouse is floodlit as a beacon at night. Presumably the light was replaced by the offshore Knippelholmen lighthouse, which assumed its Fyrlista number 7681. Located on a promontory at the end of the Måsholmsvågen in Arendal, a suburb of Göteborg on the north side of the approach to the city. Site open, tower closed. ex-SV-7681.
**** Fyrskepp 29 Fladen: 1914. Decommissioned 1969. 32.8 m (108 ft) steel lightship with a lantern on the mainmast. Deployment of the ship was delayed until 1919 by World War I. It served until 1951 on the Ölandsrev station and then for 15 years at Hävringe; only in its last two years was it stationed at Fladen. In 1987 the ship was added to the collection of the Göteborgs Maritima Centrum, and it has been moored at the museum on the Göteborg waterfront ever since. Site open; vessel open for tours daily march through November. Site manager: Göteborgs Maritima Centrum.
[Göteborgsgrund (lantern)]: 1939. Inactive since 2003. The lighthouse stood on a shoal on the south side of the Göteborg entrance channel; SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. In 2003 both shoal and lighthouse were removed as part of a widening of the dredged channel. The lantern was preserved and brought to Göteborg, but we don't know where it is displayed; more information is needed! Site status unknown. SV-7683; Admiralty C0581; NGA 1124.
Styrsö Area Lighthouses
Note: Styrsö is the largest of a group of islands in the Kattegat southwest of Göteborg. The major islands are all accessible by ferry.
Stora Känsö: 1944. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white, red or green light, depending on direction, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted white with a red roof. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. Located atop a rocky cliff marking the north side of the entrance to the narrow channel between the islands of Stora Känsö and Vargö. Site status unknown. SV-7567; Admiralty C0619; NGA 1056.
Donsö Svartskär: 1944. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with a black horizontal band at the base. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. Located on a small island in the Kattegat about 800 m (1/2 mi) west northwest of Lokholmen; this is not near the larger island of Donsö. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. SV-7558; Admiralty C0624; NGA 1152.
Valö (2): 1935 (station established 1885). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); one long flash every 8 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with one green horizontal band under the gallery. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. Unfortunately, this photo does not show the 2-story brick and stone keeper's house, but Stefan Isaksson has posted a photo of the station, and a distant view is available. This lighthouse is important in guiding ships approaching Göteborg from the south. Daymarkers were built at this location in 1827 and again in 1863. Located at the southeastern point of Valö. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS SWE-414; SV-7490; Admiralty C0628; NGA 1176.
Rättaren (2): 1981 (station established 1885). Active; focal plane 5 m (17 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) round lantern and gallery mounted on a short concrete pedestal. Lantern painted white, pedestal green. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. Located on a rock about 600 m (0.4 mi) off the northeastern shore of the island of Vrångö. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. SV-7495; Admiralty C0630; NGA 1180.
* Donsöhuvud: 1919. Active; focal plane 5 m (17 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) round lantern and gallery mounted on a short concrete pedestal. Lantern painted white. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall. Located on the southeastern point of Donsö; probably accessible by a short walk from the nearest road. Site open, tower closed. SV-7501; Admiralty C0632; NGA 1184.
* Stora Knarrholmen (2): 1983 (station established 1890). Active; focal plane 4 m (13 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted white with a red roof. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg. Located at the southeast corner of the island of Stora Knarrholmen; accessible by a short walk from the town of the same name. Site open, tower closed. SV-7517; Admiralty C0636; NGA 1188.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Göteborgsgrund (1939-2003).

Notable faux lighthouses:

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