Name and Location

The Latarnia Morska Niechorze, also known as Niechorze Lighthouse, is located in Poland, specifically in Gryfice County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The official address is Polna 30, 72-350 Niechorze.

Construction and History

The lighthouse was built in 1866 under the German Empire's maritime administration. It was one of the oldest surviving Prussian-era lighthouses on the Polish Baltic coast. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was converted from oil lamp to carbide, and later electric lamp. The upper section was damaged during World War II and repaired in the post-war years.

Architecture and Materials

The tower is a typical mid-19th-century Prussian brick lighthouse, with a cylindrical masonry base topped by a hipped lantern roof. It is made of red brick (unplastered) with a cast-iron lantern room and wooden internal staircase. The exterior finish is unpainted brick with contrasting white lantern room.

Light and Navigation

The focal plane is 62.8 meters above mean sea level, and the nominal range is 20 nautical miles. The light characteristic is a single white flash every 10 seconds. It is fully automated, with no resident keepers since the mid-20th century. The lighthouse is listed as a historic monument and one of the oldest surviving Prussian-era lighthouses on the Polish Baltic coast.

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse is open to visitors from Monday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. Admission is ticketed, with fees varying; check local tourist offices or municipal websites for more information. The facility includes a small exhibition on coastal navigation, souvenir kiosk, and panoramic viewing gallery.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse offers a panoramic 360-degree view from the gallery, featuring the Baltic Sea horizon to the north and forested hinterland to the south. The clifftop location also affords birdwatching opportunities (migratory routes). Nearby pine stands and sand dunes form a protected coastal landscape.

Anecdotes and Folklore

According to local legend, the ghost of a 19th-century keeper still tends an extinguished lamp on stormy nights. Stories survive of keepers' families living on site for decades and recording detailed meteorological logs.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is managed by the Polish Maritime Office in Szczecin and integrated into the Polish aid-to-navigation network. It is listed as a historic monument and one of the oldest surviving Prussian-era lighthouses on the Polish Baltic coast.

Further Information

Note: No further information was provided.