Sopot Lighthouse

Built in 1904, Sopot Lighthouse was…not a lighthouse. Over time it became one. Then it lost its job.

When a grand spa complex was being built beside the town’s pier, architects were brought in to disguise its unsightly chimney exhalation—figuring nobody would want to see smoke spewing from the boiler room. As a solution, they surrounded it with a lovely viewing tower.

Its main lantern room and open-air top artfully concealed any output via an art-nouveau castle tower. The vantage point was too valuable to waste, so lights were eventually installed. But the beam’s range of 5 nautical miles still came up short in meeting the requirements of a true lighthouse. That glory wouldn’t be bestowed until 1977, when the spa’s
heating system was overhauled, making the old chimney cover-ups redundant. Rather than demolish an iconic building, officials transformed it. With new gear mounted, the lighthouse proudly beamed out to 17 nautical miles and finally claimed its lofty status. The title was a tenuous one, however, and when in 1999 its reach was nearly cut in half, the lighthouse was fired.

Nonetheless, it remains a much-loved public viewing tower and continues to be affectionately referred to as Sopot’s Lighthouse. It retains the capacity to light up for special occasions and celebrate Sopot in style, without blowing too much smoke.

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