Söderskär lighthouse

Porvoo, Finland

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

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Söderskär lighthouse, a decommissioned 19th-century tower in the outer Porvoo archipelago of the Gulf of Finland, was built in 1862 to replace an earlier daymark. Designed by architect Ernst Lohrmann and standing 32.5 metres tall, the octagonal structure comprises six storeys and was constructed of granite up to 8.6 metres height, with brick-and-mortar above. The tower's original excellence—its exceptionally bright and long-range Fresnel lens light, positioned 40 metres above mean sea level—became legendary when commissioned. In 1914–1917, a steel and concrete girdle was added to stabilize the structure after sway and lean were discovered in strong winds. Automated in 1957 and decommissioned in 1989, the lighthouse sits on Majakkasaari (Lighthouse Island), connected by footbridge to a neighbouring islet that once housed pilots and lighthouse keepers. Now privately owned since 2003 and protected under Finnish Heritage Agency law, the building's exterior, interior, and technical equipment cannot be altered without permission. Tove Jansson reportedly used Söderskär as inspiration for the lighthouse island in *Moominpappa at Sea*.

Architect

Ernst Lohrmann Hampus Dalström

Built: 1862
Type: lighthouse
Heritage: protected by the law on the protection of the architectural heritage in Finland
Height: 32.5 m
Place: Porvoo, Finland

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Location

60.10939, 25.41004