The opinion poll organised to find out people’s favourite lighthouse in Estonia revealed that almost a quarter of voters selected Kõpu Lighthouse as their favourite. The results were announced at the 100th anniversary of the Estonian Maritime Administration on 13 November. This was also the Administration’s present to the state on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.
Director General Rene Arikas declared that the decision to conduct a poll to find out which of Estonia’s lighthouses is people’s favourite was made because lighthouses are symbols of safe vessel traffic and cultural heritage, having fascinated people for hundreds of years for various reasons. “The objective of the activities of the Maritime Administration is to create the conditions for safe water traffic and contribute to the development of the maritime sector. The MA administers approximately 1200 aids to navigation throughout Estonia, 41 of which are lighthouses, and in terms of ensuring safety all these are important. Lighthouses in particular have played an enormous role in the life of coastal folk, and these days lighthouses are significant symbols of maritime culture and heritage,” Arikas said. “It was very exciting to see the voting going on. Kõpu Lighthouse is an old and respectable structure that holds several records. That it got a quarter of votes indicates how important it is for the people.”
According to Arikas, Kõpu is the most visited lighthouse in Estonia: “Even though we do not have the final figures for the passing year yet, we can estimate that about 20,000 visitors come to see Kõpu Lighthouse every year.”
Kõpu Lighthouse is the oldest in Estonia (erected in 1531, it will be 488 years old in 2019) and third oldest in the world. It is also the oldest continuously functioning lighthouse in the world. Originally a fire was lit on top of the structure, which could be seen from the sea. Today a 1000 W lantern is used that has luminous intensity of about 2,000,000 cd. The light of Kõpu Lighthouse is the most powerful in the Baltic region and Scandinavia; its visibility in darkness is 26 nautical miles. Its focal plane is 103.6 m, which makes it the highest lighthouse light in Estonia.
In cooperation with local communities the MA has opened 10 lighthouses for the public, and out of these Kõpu was the first (opened in 2002). The other lighthouses that can be visited are Tahkuna, Ristna, Kihnu, Ruhnu, Vormsi, Pakri, Suurupi Front and Rear, and Sõrve. The current plan is to open Naissaare and Osmussaare lighthouses in spring 2019.
The opinion poll to find out people’s favourite lighthouse was announced on 1 November this year, and votes were received until 12 November. In total, over 3200 votes were cast, with the winner being Kõpu Lighthouse in Hiiumaa. Sõrve Lighthouse in Saaremaa placed second, and Keri Lighthouse, which will celebrate its 300th anniversary next year, was third.
