Miķeļbāka or Miķeļtornis is the tallest lighthouse in Latvia. It is located in the village of Miķeļtornis, Tārgale parish, Ventspils Municipality; about 34 kilometres (21 mi) northeast of Ventspils.
"Mikelbaka" meaning
Legends date the name "Mikelbaka" to 1749, when the coast was surveyed by Mikhail Ryabinin, a Russian midshipman. After a period, the name was changed to the Latvian "Mikelis”. At 56 metres (184 ft) it is the tallest lighthouse tower in the Baltic States.
History
The first tower was completed in 1884 – a cylindrical 55 metres (180 ft) tall brick structure, that—at the time—was the tallest lighthouse in Latvia. An electric light source was installed and supplied with electricity from a power plant in a nearby building. In the early 20th century, cracks began to appear in the tower as still seen today.
World War I
In 1915 the light source and the generator were transported to Russia. During Germany's occupation of Latvia, they installed an acetylene light source. During WWI, the lighthouse was shelled by artillery. The original lighthouse was patched up, but it had to be demolished in 1932.
Latvian independence (1918–1940)
In 1932, a temporary wooden tower, almost as high as the original, was built. The tower was finished in September 1934. A German optical device – a 1.76 metres (5 ft 9 in) tall, fixed belt lens – was installed in the new wooden tower. The light source was a Swedish-made, acetylene device. Depending on the distance, the light was either green or white.
Soviet times
In 1941, during its retreat, the Red Army blew up the wooden lighthouse to keep it out of German hands.
In 1946, a 30 metres (98 ft) tall temporary tower was built.
Present day
The present-day Miķeļbāka lighthouse was built in 1957, documented in the sign above its front door. Two hundred and ninety-three steps lead to the top of the lighthouse, offering a view overlooking the surrounding Kurzeme coast of the Baltic Sea and a lighthouse on the Syrve Peninsula of Saaremaa that can be seen in fine weather at a distance of 35 kilometres (22 mi). The current tower is 56 metres (184 ft) high, the beacon having a focal height of 59 metres (194 ft) above sea level, making it the tallest in the Baltic States.
| Miķeļbāka Lightouse | |
| Location | Miķeļtornis,Ventspils Municipality, Latvia |
| Year first constructed | 1885 (first) |
| Year first lit | 1957 (current) |
| Construction | concrete tower |
| Tower shape | cylindrical tower with double balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower, red lantern roof and rail |
| Tower height | 56 metres (184 ft) |
| Focal height | 59 metres (194 ft) |
| Range | 19 nautical miles (35 km; 22 mi) |
“Miķeļbāka” lighthouse that is 62 metres high was built in 1884 and it is the highest lighthouse in the Baltic region. It has an observation platform at the height of 56 metres. Earlier walls of the lighthouse were about one meter thick, however, the tower was too heavy for the sand dune and over the course of time it has slanted.
The lighthouse in the ancient Liv settlement, which was earlier referred to as Piza, however the lighthouse was not called the Piza Tower, but “Miķeļbāka”, as its task was to warn sailors about the shallow place with the same name. Later, the name was Latvianised into “Miķeļbāka”, and also “Miķeļtornis”.
To scale up the lighthouse, considerable efforts are required, as at times some steps are steeper and some not so much. Unfortunately, the lighthouse is not available for tourists.
www.visitventspils.com