Tahkuna Lighthouse
Tahkuna tuletorn
A cast-iron lighthouse at the northern tip of the island. Beside it stands a memorial to the victims of the 1994 MS Estonia sinking, and the windswept cape is both desolate and magnificent.
Tahkuna Lighthouse stands on the Tahkuna Peninsula at the northernmost tip of Hiiumaa. Built in 1875, it was assembled from prefabricated cast-iron parts made in Paris. It stands about 43 metres tall and is one of Estonia's tallest lighthouses. In summer, visitors can climb it to look out over the entrance to the Gulf of Finland. On the cape beside the lighthouse stands a bell-shaped memorial to the 852 people who died when the MS Estonia ferry sank in 1994. When the wind blows, the small bells ring, which is deeply moving. The surrounding Tahkuna Nature Reserve has pine forests scattered with artillery positions and bunkers from World War II. The lighthouse is about 12 km from Kärdla and can be reached by cycling along pine forest paths.
Opening hours
Roughly May–Sep 10:00–19:00
Nearby sights
- Hiiumaa Military Museum
- Ristimägi (Hill of Crosses)
- Reigi Church
- Kõrgessaare Manor
- Kärdla & Long House Museum
- Luidja Beach
- Soera Farm Museum
- Käina Church Ruins