Name and Location

The Pakri Lighthouse is located on the Pakri Peninsula near Paldiski town center in Harju County, northern Estonia. Its official name is Pakri Lighthouse, and its Estonian name is Pakri tuletorn. The lighthouse's address is Majaka tee 45, Paldiski, 76806 Harju maakond, Estonia.

Construction and History

The exact construction date of the current tower is not documented in available sources. While speculation exists that an earlier light tower stood on this site in the late 19th century, no definitive archival record has been confirmed. The site has formed part of Estonia's coastal light network since at least the early 20th century.

Architecture and Materials

The Pakri Lighthouse is a masonry tower with a cylindrical shape and a light-colored finish. Its materials are likely brick or reinforced concrete with a rendered finish, typical of Estonian minor lights.

Light and Navigation

The lighthouse serves as a coastal navigation aid marking the approaches to the Gulf of Finland. It has an international reference number of C 3774 and is classified as a minor coastal light. The characteristic pattern is Long flashing white (LFl W) with a sequence of five flashes followed by a 10-second eclipse, and a period of 15 seconds.

Accessibility and Visiting

The tower is on state-owned land with no formal visitor facilities. Public access to the immediate base of the lighthouse is possible by hiking along coastal paths from Paldiski (approximately 5 km). The tower interior is not open to visitors, and there is no dedicated tourist infrastructure.

Notable Views and Landscape

The Pakri Peninsula offers dramatic limestone cliffs with panoramic views of the Baltic Sea. Nearby points of interest include tumulus fields at Suur-Pakri and small maritime graveyards on adjacent islets. Paldiski town also offers cultural sites, cafés, and an open-air museum on former Soviet naval facilities.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is maintained and monitored by the Estonian Maritime Administration. It has no AIS or radar installation; instead, it functions solely as a visual aid. The lighthouse's focal height is 73 meters above sea level, with a range of 12 nautical miles. Flashes are visible from bearings 011° to 243°.

Further Information

For more information on the Pakri Lighthouse, please visit the Estonian Maritime Administration ATON database (https://nma.vta.ee/aton/) or OpenStreetMap way 83939819 (https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/83939819).