Sopot Lighthouse

The lighthouse in Sopot has a unique history, as it originally served as a chimney. In 1903, during the construction of a balneological facility, a boiler house was built, and its chimney was designed to blend with the surrounding architecture. After World War II, the building was taken over by the city and converted into a bathhouse, and in 1956, it was handed over to the Rheumatology Hospital. In 1975, after the boiler room was modernized, the chimney was no longer needed; it was remodeled, and a navigational light was installed on top. Initially, the light had a range of 5 nautical miles, so it wasn’t classified as a lighthouse. Only after increasing the range to 17 miles did it gain that status. However, since 1999, after reducing the range to 7 nautical miles, it’s no longer formally recognized as a lighthouse, although it’s still commonly referred to as such. The tower is open to visitors as an observation point, offering exceptional views of the Baltic coast.