Lighthouses – a Sign of Safety!

Navigational lights along the Niedersachsen coast have been showing ship’s captains the right way for centuries. But these coastal landmarks also have plenty of charm for land-lubbers. The narrow constructions are no longer just beacons for seafarers – visitors too can enjoy their special charm. In some of them you can enjoy a cup of tea, in others get married or spend the night. Others remain closed to visitors.

The lighthouse “Roter Sand” has stood in the North Sea at the mouth of the Weser for 117 years. A technical wonder when it was built, being the first offshore construction in the world, it is now a monument and tourist attraction. You can even spend the night here. It’s role as a navigational aid to shipping has been taken over by a new tower. But the “Roter Sand” remains a true landmark. For emigrants to America, it was the last piece of their home country they saw on their journey to the new world.

Whilst Niedersachsen’s lighthouses used to show the way with paraffin lamps, nowadays they are powered by electricity. Despite the rise of satellite navigation systems, most seamen wouldn’t be without the lighthouses for the world. At the end of the day, they are more reliable than modern technology – in the event of a power failure, these navigational aids often offer the only means of orientation. The lighthouses signals are not all the same – experts differentiate between beacons, landfall lights, cross lights and leading lights.

• http://www.lighthouses-worldwi.de/
• http://www.leuchtturm-atlas.de/regNns.html (German)

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