Vinga Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Vinga Lighthouse , is a Swedish
lighthouse
on Vinga island
built in 1890. But Vinga has been an important island for sea travelers for a long time. The lighthouse in use now is the third one on the island. It is one of Sweden's most famous lighthouses and a special symbol for the city of Gothenburg
.
The first tower was built in 1841, it was the first Swedish lighthouse with lens
. A second was built in 1854 to make the island a "double lighthouse". There had been some complaints that it was hard to figure out if it was the lighthouse in Skagen
(Denmark) or Vinga that you saw on a long distance. The flame ran on colza oil
. In the 1880s
the need for a better and higher lighthouse was urgent and in 1890 the new lighthouse was built, it ran on paraffin
. The oldest lighthouse was transformed to a watch tower (the red and gray short tower on the picture). The second lighthouse was eliminated.
In 1948 the tower was electrified and in 1974 it was automated. It is now remote controlled by the Swedish Maritime Administration
, who wanted to deactivate the lighthouse in 2007 because the commercial shipping does not need it anymore, but it was met with heavy protesting. For now, the tower is still active.
On the island is also a distinctive red pyramid day beacon
side by side with the tower. It was built in 1857.
Today Vinga lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction
, and during the summer season there is often guided tours on the island. The Swedish poet and musician Evert Taube
lived as a child on Vinga where his father worked.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
on Vinga island
Vinga (Gothenburg)
Vinga is a small island ten nautical miles outside Gothenburg's harbour entrance in Sweden. The 19th century Vinga Lighthouse is famous not only as a beacon in the waterway of the Swedish west coast, but also as the place where the Swedish poet laureate Evert Taube grew up. Today Vinga is a tourist...
built in 1890. But Vinga has been an important island for sea travelers for a long time. The lighthouse in use now is the third one on the island. It is one of Sweden's most famous lighthouses and a special symbol for the city of Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
.
The first tower was built in 1841, it was the first Swedish lighthouse with lens
Lens (optics)
A lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam. A simple lens consists of a single optical element...
. A second was built in 1854 to make the island a "double lighthouse". There had been some complaints that it was hard to figure out if it was the lighthouse in Skagen
Skagen
Skagen is a projection of land and a town, with a population of 8,515 , in Region Nordjylland on the northernmost tip of Vendsyssel-Thy, a part of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark...
(Denmark) or Vinga that you saw on a long distance. The flame ran on colza oil
Colza oil
Colza oil is a nondrying oil obtained from the seeds of Brassica rapa, var. oleifera, a variety of the plant that produces turnips. Colza is extensively cultivated in France, Belgium, the United States, the Netherlands and Germany and Poland. In France, especially, the extraction of the oil is an...
. In the 1880s
1880s
The 1880s was the decade that spanned from January 1, 1880 to December 31, 1889. They occurred at the core period of the Second Industrial Revolution. Most Western countries experienced a large economic boom, due to the mass production of railroads and other more convenient methods of travel...
the need for a better and higher lighthouse was urgent and in 1890 the new lighthouse was built, it ran on paraffin
Paraffin
In chemistry, paraffin is a term that can be used synonymously with "alkane", indicating hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to a mixture of alkanes that falls within the 20 ≤ n ≤ 40 range; they are found in the solid state at room temperature and begin to enter the...
. The oldest lighthouse was transformed to a watch tower (the red and gray short tower on the picture). The second lighthouse was eliminated.
In 1948 the tower was electrified and in 1974 it was automated. It is now remote controlled by the Swedish Maritime Administration
Swedish Maritime Administration
The Swedish Maritime Administration is the Swedish government agency which provides services to the transport sector by keeping the sea lanes open and safe...
, who wanted to deactivate the lighthouse in 2007 because the commercial shipping does not need it anymore, but it was met with heavy protesting. For now, the tower is still active.
On the island is also a distinctive red pyramid day beacon
Day beacon
A day beacon is an unlighted nautical sea mark. Typically, day beacons mark channels whose key points are marked by lighted buoys. Day beacons may also mark smaller navigable routes in their entirety. They are the most common aid to nautical navigation in shallow water as they are relatively...
side by side with the tower. It was built in 1857.
Today Vinga lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
, and during the summer season there is often guided tours on the island. The Swedish poet and musician Evert Taube
Evert Taube
Evert Axel Taube was a Swedish author, artist, composer and singer. He is best known for his folk songs, and is widely regarded as one of Sweden's most respected musicians.-Biography:...
lived as a child on Vinga where his father worked.