Name and Location

Hammeren Fyr (also known as Hammeren Lighthouse) is a 19th-century cast-iron lighthouse located on the northern tip of the Hammeren headland on the island of Bornholm, Denmark. The address is Fyrvej 15, 3770 Allinge-Sandvig, Bornholm, Denmark.

Construction and History

Hammeren Fyr was constructed in 1872 and officially commissioned on September 15th of that year. It served as a major navigational aid in the Baltic Sea until its decommissioning in 1990. The overall scheme was carried out by naval engineer Georg Daniel von der Lühe under the auspices of the Danish Lighthouse Authority.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse is a free-standing cylindrical tower made from prefabricated cast-iron plates riveted around an internal cast-iron central cylinder, with a platform and lantern gallery constructed from cast iron and wrought iron. The tower stands at 21 meters in height, with a foundation set on natural granite outcrop.

Light and Navigation

The lighthouse originally featured a first-order Fresnel lens, rotating every 30 seconds to produce a white flash (Fl) every 30 seconds. The nominal range was approximately 14 nautical miles. Power sources included oil, kerosene, and electricity in the mid-20th century.

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse is open daily during summer months from April to September, with shorter hours off-season. Admission is free, and visitors can access the site via Fyrvej (paved road from Allinge-Sandvig) and a short set of stone steps leads from the access lane to the tower entrance.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse offers a 360-degree panorama over the sea, neighboring cliffs, wooded slopes, and Hammershus Castle ruins about 2 km to the east. The surrounding landscape features rocky granite coastline interspersed with heath and pine forest, making it a popular hiking area (part of Bornholm's Hammerknuden trail).

Anecdotes and Folklore

Local legend holds that the cliff above the lighthouse was once a Viking sacrificial site, although no archaeological evidence confirms this. Former keepers' logbooks detail winter storms that at times inundated the access track with spray and ice.

Technical and Operational Details

The original optic was retired in 1990 and replaced by a smaller, modern beacon on an adjacent post. Automation achieved in 1972 meant keeper service was discontinued.

Further Information

Hammeren Fyr is listed under the Danish Museum Act as a cultural heritage site. The managing authority is the Danish Coastal Authority (Kystdirektoratet) in coordination with Bornholm Museum (Bornholms Museum) for interpretation.