Saaremaa to open first lighthouse to visitors
The Western Estonian island of Saaremaa has announced it will open Sõrve Lighthouse, the first of its several, to visitors this summer following the completion of renovations.
Andro Roosileht, director of the nonprofit MTÜ Sõrve Tuletorn, which was granted €111,629 by Enterprise Estonia to complete necessary upgrades on the lighthouse, told regional daily Saarte Hääl that it was 99 percent likely that the lighthouse will be open to visitors by June 1.
"The work to be done mostly involves making the lighthouse safe," Roosileht explained. "The ladders will be equipped with safety nets, and the viewing platform on the top level will get a safety net as well."
According to the nonprofit director, summmer visitor numbers at the tip of Sõrve Peninsula are high enough, and many people have inquired about the possibility of climbing the lighthouse tower.
Beginning this summer, visitors will be able to enjoy views of the peninsula and the Latvian coast from an altitude of 45 meters, noted the paper.
Currently, no lighthouses in Saaremaa are open to visitors. On the neighboring island of Hiiumaa, however, visitors can climb the tower of three lighthouses — Kõpu, Tahkuna and Ristna — and the nearby island of Vormsi has likewise turned its lighthouse into a tourist attraction.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS