Name and Location

Skagen Vest Lighthouse, officially listed as Skagen Vest, is a modern navigational aid located at Batterivej 75 (plus-code PHXW+G3), Skagen, 9990 Frederikshavn Kommune, North Denmark Region, Denmark. The coordinates are 57°44′55″N, 10°35′42″E.

Construction and History

The lighthouse was constructed in 1956, starting from mid-1955. It replaced the earlier Skagen Vest light and was designed to improve visibility for vessels rounding the northwestern tip of the Jutland peninsula. The purpose of the new lighthouse was to provide a reliable navigational aid for mariners.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse has a slim, tapering tower with an attached single-storey base building (store rooms and equipment). The structure is made of reinforced concrete core clad in prefabricated steel plates and painted light grey. The height of the tower is 46 meters, with a focal plane approximately 45 meters above mean sea level.

Light and Navigation

The light characteristic is a group-flashing pattern of three white flashes every 15 seconds (Fl (3) W 15 s). The range of the light is approximately 20 nautical miles. The power supply comes from mains with a diesel generator backup, which was standard for Danish coastal lights at the time.

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse tower is closed to the public, but the ground-level area can be reached on foot via a short sandy track from the coastal parking area off Batterivej. There are no visiting hours or fees as there is no public interior access. The nearest visitor services can be found in Skagen town.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse sits on level coastal sands and dunes overlooking the Skagerrak, approximately 2 kilometers northwest of Skagen town center. Visitors can enjoy the scenic views of the coastline and the surrounding landscape, which features the older white lighthouse (Det Hvide Fyr, 1858) and other notable attractions.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Locally, fishermen and ferry crews call the lighthouse "Vestfyret" in radio communications. It is reputed to have one of the most severe North Sea gales in winter, making maintenance visits challenging.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is fully automated and has no resident keepers since its commissioning. Although there is no public record of radar installations, it is likely that the lighthouse was equipped with an AIS transmitter to broadcast its identity and position.

For more information, please visit the Danish Coastal Authority website (http://www.kyst.dk) and search for "Skagen Vest Fyr."