Скачать с ютуб Eider Duck Safari to Bengtskär Lighthouse (Haahkasafari Bengtskärin majakalle) | Finland Archipelago в хорошем качестве

Eider Duck Safari to Bengtskär Lighthouse (Haahkasafari Bengtskärin majakalle) | Finland Archipelago

A wonderful day trip and eider duck safari to the Bengtskär lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in the Nordic countries and most southern travel destination in Finland. The Bengtskär lighthouse rises 52 meters above the sea level. It is situated about 25 kilometers south-west of Hanko in the outer archipelago of Finland. The lighthouse is located on the southernmost island in the Finnish Archipelago Sea, in the eastern part of the northern Baltic Sea. Spring in the outer archipelago is magical time. The little island of Bengtskär lighthouse becomes home for hundreds of nesting eider ducks in the spring. Iconic eiders (Somateria mollissima or Haahka in Finnish) are diving birds and one of largest seabirds in Finland. The human presence on the island keeps predators aways and makes a safe habitate for nesting birds. The eiders have learned to trust the staff and visitors. The females build their nests everywhere, even next to the helicopter landing pad and the main entrance to the lighthouse. The eiders are not tame and must be respected in order not to interfere with the breeding. In 2020, there were 466 elder nests on the Bengtskär island. In the same time period, researchers have observed that the total number of eiders in the archipelago has decreased disastrously. You can reach Bengtskär from Hanko, Rosala or Kasnäs. On a tour boat, the trip from Kasnäs to the lighthouse takes about one hour. Boat service is regular in summer but it can be cancelled in the case of bad weather. Our eider duck safari was organized by Wilson Charter. The trip included: boat trip Kasnäs-Bengtskär-Kasnäs, entrance fee, guiding and delicious lunch (local fish soup with archipelago rye bread + coffee and freshly baked cinnamon bun). Bengtskär has a lighthouse museum and a home museum,, a permanent exhibition about the Battle of Bengtskär and other varying exhibitions, a post office, a chapel, a café and souvenir shop, as well as premises for accommodation and conferences. For overnight guests, the Finnish sauna will be heated in a granite outbuilding that is just as old as the lighthouse. The water in the sauna is rainwater because there is no well on the island. The drinking water is made from sea water. Bengtskär is not connected to the grid, so all electricity is produced on the island. After Finland´s first winter harbour was built in Hanko in 1874, many ships drove on rocks in the treacherous waters around the Bengtskär island. On New Year’s day 1905, a new steamship, the SS Helsingfors, was shipwrecked north of Bengtskär. After this event, the decision was made to build a lighthouse on the island. The plans were made by architect Florentin Granholm, who represented the National Romantic style of Finnish architecture. The interior was built in Jugend style. The lighthouse was completed in nine months in 1906. There were up to 124 people working on the construction at a time. 488,000 bricks were brought in from Hanko, but the granite was quarried from the island. The light was lit for the first time on December in 1906. It was visible for about 37 kilometres. Lighthouse keepers and their families lived on Bengtskär year-round. The largest population reached by the island was 32 people, of which 21 were children. There was a school for the children. The children stayed at Bengtskär their entire childhoods. The Battle of Bengtskär took place on 26-27 July 1941 during the Continuation War, when Soviet landing troops made a surprise attack with the goal to blow up the Bengtskär lighthouse so that it would not disturb Soviet military operations. Finnish troops managed to defend the lighthouse and eventually drove the Soviets back. There were 1,500 men on land, sea and air involved in the battle. The following day, a Soviet plane bombed the lighthouse, killing 11 Finns. A total of 32 Finns and an estimated 60-100 Soviets died in the battle. The lighthouse suffered severe damage. Despite the losses, the lighthouse’s Finnish defenders were victorious. After the war, the families did not return to Bengtskär. In 1968, the lantern was made automatic and the building was left deserted. It decayed over time and was in very bad condition because of bad weather, wind, and vandalism. In 1992 to prevent further decay, the Finnish Maritime Administration rented the lighthouse to the Centre for Extension Studies at Turku University, which had initiated a development project for the archipelago. The lighthouse was rebuilt while respecting its original style. Since 1995 the Bengtskär lighthouse has operated as a museum and visitor lighthouse. The lighthouse has become one of the most visited attractions in the Archipelago Sea. The Bengtskär lighthouse is visited by 13,000 to 15,000 people per year. In 2000, the Turku University Foundation bought the lighthouse in order to preserve it for future generations and continue the work. Bengtskär is a valuable part of Finland’s cultural heritage and the landscape of the archipelago.