Kołobrzeg Lighthouse

Kołobrzeg Lighthouse stands at the entrance to the harbour, on the main platform of a former fortress — it is 26 metres tall, its light sits 36 m above sea level and reaches 16 nautical miles (29.6 km). From the terrace you can see the old town and the open sea. It is one of the most accessible lighthouses in Poland — you arrive straight from the promenade.

From the harbour turret to the fort

The first navigational light in Kołobrzeg was lit as early as 1666, using the turret of the port administration building. In 1899 a half-timbered pilots' station with a 25-metre tower serving as a lighthouse was built, and in 1909 it was replaced by a sturdier brick building with a range of already 12 nautical miles.

Blown up and rebuilt within months

During the battle for Kołobrzeg in March 1945, German engineers blew up the lighthouse — it made an excellent reference point for Polish artillerymen. It was rebuilt no later than November 1945, though in a different spot: the old one stood in front of the fort, the current one stands on its main platform. In 2022 a relief depicting a PPSh submachine gun and a hammer-and-sickle flag was removed from the facade — the lighthouse is to become a monument to the soldiers who fell in the fights for the town.

Interior, terrace and fortress surroundings

A major renovation in 1979–1981 replaced the lantern room and the stairs with metal ones, and in 2001 the town restored a dry moat around the fort and adapted its rooms into a tavern and thematic exhibitions. In 2005 an image of the Kołobrzeg lighthouse appeared on the reverse of a 2 złoty NBP commemorative coin. From the top, take a moment on the terrace: you will see the harbour quays and the sandy beach at the same time.