Vilsandi Lighthouse – Light on the Edge of Sea and Sky

Vilsandi is a place where time moves to a different rhythm. The sun lingers longer in the sky, the wind carries stories from the sea, and the birds guard the island’s silence. At the island’s northwestern tip stands a white stone sentinel – the Vilsandi Lighthouse. It has watched sailing ships and steamers pass by, witnessed the fury of storms and the gold of sunrises. For more than two centuries, its light has guided vessels through the shallows and islets, serving both as a navigational mark and as part of the island’s soul.

In 1803, the Russian Admiralty Department gave the order to build a lighthouse on Loona Islet. A few years later, in 1809, a stone lighthouse with wooden floors and stairs was completed. At its heart was a rotating light with ten hemp oil lamps, whose concave mirrors sent the beam as far as 16 nautical miles. The nights then were quiet and dark, but the rotating beam made a full turn every minute – a rhythm by which sailors could measure their position at sea.

Two Lights and a Tragic Collapse

The dialogue between Vilsandi and the sea has not always been peaceful. In 1824, a wooden auxiliary lighthouse was built on the island’s southern shore to distinguish it from the lights of Sõrve and Kõpu. For nearly 20 years, the two lights burned side by side. But in 1842, during the construction of a stone auxiliary tower, the structure collapsed. Six workers lost their lives and several others were seriously injured – and the plan for two lighthouses was abandoned.

The Evolution of Light Through the Centuries

Over the years, Vilsandi Lighthouse became taller and stronger.

• 1856 – the tower was raised by 4.3 metres; the keeper’s house and watchmen’s quarters were built.

• 1860 – a Fresnel lens from Kõpu Lighthouse was installed.

• 1870 – a new optical system from England was added, and the white light now reached 13 nautical miles.

• 1878 – petroleum replaced oil lamps; later came the telegraph and telephone.

• 1927 – a Swedish AGA automatic acetylene lantern increased the range to 18 nautical miles.

• 1972 – the lighthouse was connected to the electrical grid and equipped with a Soviet-made rotating lantern.

• 2016 – an LED precision sector light, developed in Estonia, allowed the beam to shine up to 25 km, until the horizon itself cuts the view.

  
  

Renovated and Open to Visitors

In 2019, a full renovation was carried out, and the lighthouse was reopened to visitors. A climb of 160 steps leads to the balcony, where a panoramic view stretches across the islets and sea – the light at the top is now LED, but the feeling is the same as it was 200 years ago: the sea is ever-present, and the light stands guard at its edge.

The Island of Sun and Birds

Vilsandi is part of Estonia’s sunniest region and part of a national park that is home to hundreds of bird species. Standing on the lighthouse balcony, you hear the wind’s whistle, the rustle of wings, and, in the distance, the call of the crane.

Sailors knew that light was life. The beam of a lighthouse and the glow of an oil lamp were always trusted companions in the darkness. Just as the lighthouse once guided ships safely through the night, an old oil lamp brings warmth and light wherever it is most needed.

Explore our lamp collection, where you’ll find both oil and enamel lamps – each carrying a piece of seaside romance.