Cultural Heritage in the Baltic Sea States       The earliest Baltic lights were simple fires placed along the coastlines to warn and guide sailors. Lever beacons were developed to hoist up metal baskets filled with lit coal to improve light intensity and this type of beacon was used at Falsterbo, Sweden from 1229. Some of the earliest recorded beacons are illustrated by Olaus Magnus on his map of the “Nordic Countries” 1539. One of these, Kõpu in Estonia, is one of the oldest lights found in the Baltic area. It was built by the Hanseatic League of Merchants between 1527 and 1531 and is still in use today. Larger and more permanent structures continued to be built in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1753 the first Finnish lighthouse was built on the island of Utö. Denmark received its first proper lighthouse at Skagen in 1757.     DENMARK Gedser Odde + Nakkehoved + Skagen ESTONIA Keri Kõpu + Vilsandi Laidunina Sõrve Tahkuna FINLAND Bengtskär Marjaniemi Strömmingsbådan Tankar Utö GERMANY Buk + Flügge + Greifswalder Oie + Kap Arkona LATVIA Slitere LITHUANIA Uostadvaris Ventë NORWAY Lindesnes Tungenes Grip POLAND Czolpino Hel Kolobrzeg Port Pln., Gdansk + Rozewie + Swinoujscie Kikut RUSSIA Gorki + Kronstadt Ostrov Gogland + SWEDEN Gotska Sandön + Hoburg + Landsort Långe Jan + Måseskär Nidingen Pater Noster Vinga + The map shows the Baltic lighthouses featured in the exhibition, plus those found today with a range of over 24 nautical miles (+). To see the details, click on the map.     © Polish Maritime Museum