Lighthouses of Gotland

The largest island in the Baltic Sea, Gotland is a province of Sweden. The island has an area of 3140 square kilometers (1210 sq mi) and a permanent population of nearly 60,000. Located 90 km (55 mi) off the southeastern coast of the Swedish mainland, it is accessible by air or by high-speed ferries from Nynäshamn, south of Stockholm, or from Oskarshamn, north of Kalmar on the southeast coast.

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.

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.

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.
Fyrar Runt Gotland (Lighthouses Around Gotland): Photos and information posted by Ingvar Persson. Text in Swedish.
Svenska Fyrar på Gotland: A page on the SFA web site with photos of Gotland lighthouses by Esbjörn Hillberg.
Lighthouses in Sweden: Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Online List of Lights - Gotland: Photos posted by Alexander Trabas.
Lighthouse Pages from Anke and Jens - Sweden: Photos and brief accounts (in English) by two German lighthouse fans.
Schwedische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten: Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.

Hoburg Fyr, April 2007
photo copyright Rainer Heinrichs; used by permission

Fårösund and Fårö Lighthouses
Note: Fårö is an island off the northeastern tip of Gotland island. The island has an area of 111 km² (43 sq mi) and is separated from Gotland by a channel called the Fårösund. Readily accessible by ferry from Gotland proper, Fårö is a popular resort and is known as the home of the famous film maker Ingmar Bergman.
Svingrund: 1953. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9.5 m (31 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is listed by NGA as orange with a black horizontal band, but in the Anke/Jens photo it appears to be white with red horizontal bands. Located about 1 km (0.6 mi) off the northeast point of Gotland island, marking the northwest entrance to the Fårösund. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-388; Admiralty C7171; NGA 9872.

East Coast Gotland Lighthouses
Grauten: 1911. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted bright orange. B. Littmann has a 2007 photo, Kristofer Söderberg has a distant view, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. Located on a small island off the northeast coast of Gotland, about 7 km (4.5 mi) southeast of Valleviken. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (private property). ARLHS SWE-155; Admiralty C7178; NGA 9888.
Magö: 1914. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); three flashes every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is unpainted gray concrete; lantern painted white. Persson has a small photo (halfway down the page), and Google has a satellite view. Located near the center of Magö, a small island at the southeastern entrance to Slite Hamn. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C7182; NGA 9892.
Grundet (2): 1951 (station established 1914). Active; focal plane 4 m (13 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) lantern mounted on a round concrete pier. Persson has a small photo (not quite halfway down the page), and Google has a satellite view. Located at the west end of Grundet, a second small island at the southeastern entrance to Slite Hamn, about 3 km (1.8 mi) north of Magö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C7184; NGA 9896.
Östergarnsholm (Östergarn): 1919. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); two long (2.5 s) flashes every 15 s. 29 m (95 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with one broad black horizontal band. The keeper's house has been demolished, but some smaller light station buildings remain. Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has an excellent satellite view. Östergarn is the eastern district of Gotland, and Östergarnsholm is an island off the east coast. Located on the eastern end of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-306; SV-4160; Admiralty C7188; NGA 9912.
Östergarnsholm Västra (1): 1817. Inactive since 1919. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with gallery; lantern removed. The tower is unpainted. The 1-1/2 story stone keeper's house is in ruins. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the lighthouse in service, and Google has a good satellite view. The lighthouse originally carried a coal fire. In 1849 a lantern was installed raising the height of the tower from 12 m (39 ft) to 20 m (66 ft). During thsi construction a light was shown from a small rubblestone tower that still stands. When the lighthouse was deactivated in 1919, its lantern was transferred to the new lighthouse (previous entry). Located at the west end of the island. Site open, tower closed.
Östergarnsholm Västra (2): 1949. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) lantern mounted on a concrete pad. Lantern painted white. Persson has a small photo (just over halfway down the page), and Google has a good satellite view. Located at the extreme western tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C7189; NGA 9916.
* Ljugarn (2): 1992 (station established 1886). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, 2 s on, 2 s off. 12 m (39 ft) lantern mounted on a round cylindrical metal cistern. Access to the top of the cistern is by a stairway spiralling up a post next to the structure. Entire building painted white. SFA has a good photo by J. Alm, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. Located near the foot of the main quay in Ljugarn. Site open, tower status unknown. SV-4179; Admiralty C7196; NGA 9920.
* När: 1872. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, 6 s on, 2 s off. 16 m (52 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted red with narrow white horizontal bands; lantern dome is greenish metallic. 1-story keeper's house, painted white. Trabas has an excellent closeup provided by Eiland Verlag, SFA has a good photo by U. Volz, Persson has a page with several photos, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Huelse has a historic postcard view. The light station has been sold as a private residence. Located on a promontory about 13 km (8 mi) east of Ronehamn. Site and tower closed (private property), but the lighthouse can be viewed from nearby. ARLHS SWE-049; SV-4190; Admiralty C7200; NGA 9928.
Ronehamn (2): 1963 (station established 1955). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); three flashes every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Upper half of tower painted white, lower half black. No photo available. Located in the Baltic Sea about 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Ronehamn. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-327; Admiralty C7202; NGA 9932.
Faludden: 1867. Inactive since 2009. 11 m (36 ft) ten-sided tapered cast iron tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is gray metallic. 4° Fresnel lens in use. Persson has a page with several photos, SFA has a good photo by D. Eriksson, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Huelse has a historic postcard view (note the daytime shroud over the lens). The light was deactivated on 15 April 2009. Located at the end of a promontory about 15 km (9 mi) east of Burgsvik. Site and tower closed (the lighthouse is on a military reservation), but the light can be seen from fairly close by. ARLHS SWE-010; SV-4220; Admiralty C7204; NGA 9952.
Heligholmen: 1913. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island just off the south coast of Gotland. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-189; Admiralty C7206; NGA 9964.
West Coast Gotland Lighthouses
*** Hoburg (Hoburgen): 1846. Active; focal plane 58 m (190 ft); white flash every 5 s. 22 m (72 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lower 2/3 of the tower painted white, upper third black; lantern roof also painted white. Several 1-story keeper's houses. A rotating 1st order Fresnel lens (1915) is in use. Rainer Heinrich's photo is at the top of this page, SFA has a closeup photo by J. Alm, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a good satellite view. This lighthouse marks the southwestern end of Gotland, but it is located about 2 km (1.2 mi) northeast of the cape. Site open, tower reported open daily during the summer season and on the weekends spring and fall. ARLHS SWE-031; SV-4230; Admiralty C7210; NGA 9736.
Valar (2): 1965 (station established 1899). Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting twice every 10 s. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with half gallery, painted white; the light is shown through a slit-like window at the top of the tower. SFA has a photo by D. Eriksson, and Google has a satellite view. The light marks the southern entrance to Burgsvik Hamn. Anke and Jens don't mention any difficulty in finding the light, but it does appear to be on a farm. Located about 4 km (2.5 mi) west of Burgsvik. Site possibly open, tower closed. SV-4235; Admiralty C7212; NGA 9740.
Näsrevet (2): 1922 (statuon established 1888). Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) round solid concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted red, lantern white. Google has a satellite view. This light was formerly the front light of the Burgsvik harbor entrance range. Näsrevet is now the site of a large wind farm. Located on a sandbar at the end of a long, curved shoal on the north side of the entrance to Burgsvik Hamn, about 2 km (1.2 mi) from the mainland. Accessible only by boat. Site open; nothing prevents visitors from climbing to the gallery. ARLHS SWE-286; Admiralty C7211; NGA 9752.
Visby (South Breakwater) (1) (lantern): 1867. Inactive since 1982. Round cast iron lantern, painted white. A decorative flashing white light is displayed. A photo is available (bottom of the page). Located in a playground near the harbor of Visby. Site open.
Visby (South Breakwater) (2): 1982 (station established 1867). Active; focal plane 11 m (26 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on, 2 off. 8.5 m (28 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with a green horizontal band; the lantern is unpainted silvery metallic. Marc Pettersson has a good photo, SFA has a closeup photo by D. Eriksson, and Trabas has a photo by Karl-Heinz Wellm. The lantern of the original lighthouse has been preserved, but we do not know its location; a photo of it is available (bottom of the page). Located at the end of the south breakwater at Visby, the capital of Gotland. Site and tower closed (the breakwater is not open for walking), but the light is easily seen from ferries arriving from the mainland. SV-4283; Admiralty C7236; NGA 9796.
Stenkyrkehuk: 1885. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting twice every 12 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cast iron (?) tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is greenish metallic. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Huelse has a historic postcard view. Located on a bluff on the northwesten "shoulder" of Gotland. Site and tower closed (private property). ARLHS SWE-062; SV-4294; Admiralty C7246; NGA 9816.
* Hallshuk (2): 1957 (station established 1891). Active; focal plane 32.5 m (107 ft); four long (2 s) flashes every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern standing on a small concrete pad. Michiel van Lun has a photo, SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. NGA describes an octagonal tower, presumably the original lighthouse. Located on a promontory on the north coast of Gotland, marking the entrance to Kappelshamn. The area is apparently a military installation, but Anke and Jens were able to visit the site. Site open(?), tower closed. ARLHS SWE-026; SV-4080; Admiralty C7250; NGA 9828.
Gotska Sandön Lighthouses
Note: Gotska Sandön is a roughly triangular island, about 8 km (5 mi) in diameter, located 38 km (24 mi) north of Fårö. The entire island is a national park. Accommodations include campgrounds and rustic cabins. Boat transportation is available during the summer (weather permitting) from Fårö and from Nynäshamn, south of Stockholm.
** Gotska Sandön: 1859 (Nils Gustaf von Heidenstam). Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white flash every 5 s; also a continuous red light is shown in a sector to the north. 24 m (79 ft) 12-sided wood shingled tower with lantern and gallery. 4° Fresnel lens in use. Lighthouse painted a reddish brown with white trim; lantern dome is greenish metallic. A good nighttime photo is available, SFA has a photo by F. Rubin, and Huelse has a historic photo. The national park service maintains a small visitor center at the lighthouse with exhibits on the natural history of the island. This is one of two twin towers built here; they were the first lighthouses built by von Heidenstam, who became a famous lighthouse engineer. The other tower was deactivated and removed in 1903. Located on a bluff at the northwestern tip of Gotska Sandön; accessible by hiking trails. Site open, tower open for climbing during the summer. ARLHS SWE-021; SV-4072; Admiralty C7150; NGA 9832.
* Kyrkudden: 1913. Active; focal plane 12.5 m (41 ft); three white flashes every 9 s. 12.5 m (41 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery; the lantern has been removed. Entire lighthouse painted white. An aerial photo is available. Located on the eastern point of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-227; Admiralty C7156; NGA 9836.
* [Hamnudden (1)]: 1913. Inactive since 1983. Originally a 10 m (33 ft) round white concrete tower, the lighthouse was overturned by beach erosion in 1983. The active light (focal plane 12.5 m (41 ft); two white flashes every 6 s) is on a steel post also carrying a white slatted daymark. A photo is available, Persson has a small photo (first photo on the page). There is another photo (almost halfway down the page) of the ruins of the original lighthouse. Located at the southwestern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-178; Admiralty C7154; NGA 9840.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Tärnudden (1883-1913) (see the bottom of the page), southeastern point of Gotska Sandön.

Notable faux lighthouses:

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