Stilo Lighthouse

Stilo Lighthouse in Osetnik, near Sasino on Poland's Baltic coast, is one of the most striking lighthouses in the country: a slender, sixteen-sided metal tower painted in red, white and black bands, hidden in pine forest on a dune about a kilometer from the sea. It stands roughly 12 km east of the resort of Łeba, on Poland's Lighthouse Trail between Czołpino and Rozewie, and its gallery overlooks the forest, the dunes and the Baltic.

History

The lighthouse was built in 1904–1906, when this coast was part of the German Empire, at the request of the German Navigation Association: many ships had run aground on the shoals here around the turn of the century. Architect Walter Körte designed it, and a Danzig (Gdańsk) steelworks built it. A wooden beacon had stood on the same dune since 1860. The original arc lamp was replaced in 1926, halogen lighting followed in 1975 and an LED beacon in 2019. The tower came through World War II largely unharmed and was relit in April 1946. For decades it was kept by the Łozicki family, starting in 1948 with Stefan Łozicki, a veteran of the Battle of Monte Cassino.

What to see

• The tower – about 33 m high (sources say 33–34 m), sixteen-sided and built of bolted metal plates; it is one of only two all-metal lighthouses in Poland (the other is at Jastarnia).
• The light sits 75 m above sea level because the tower stands on a 41 m dune.
• The color scheme – red, white and black bands; sources disagree on whether the order was reversed after World War II.
• The whole ensemble – engine houses, keeper's house and forest paths – is a listed historic monument.
• A ruined foghorn tower closer to the beach.

Opening hours and tickets

The lighthouse is administered by the Maritime Office in Gdynia and is open to visitors, so check current 2026 hours and prices before you go. The tower usually opens in summer (June–August); off-season, check locally before you go. The tower has been open since 1992 and has 122 steps; a nature trail beside it explains the coastal forest vegetation.

How to get there

Osetnik is in Choczewo municipality in Kashubia, about 75 km (as the crow flies) northwest of Gdańsk. Drive via Sasino; a sandy path leads through the pines to the tower. Nearby are the Sasino manor park and the Choczewskie Cisy and Mierzeja Sarbska nature reserves.

The Lighthouse Trail

Stilo is one stop on Poland's Lighthouse Trail. Heading east along this stretch of coast you pass Ustka, Czołpino, Stilo, Rozewie, Jastarnia and Hel; collectors can get a stamp in the "Bliza" lighthouse passport at towers open to visitors. Czołpino, in Słowiński National Park, is the closest neighbor to the west and makes a good pairing on the same day.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, for lighthouse fans and anyone exploring the coast between Łeba and Władysławowo – the tower's colors against the pines make it very photogenic.