One tall way to spot the sea One tall way to spot the sea
International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend
Lyngvig Lighthouse, Hvide Sande, Denmark (© Caroline Brundle Bugge/Getty Images)
Built to brave storms and steer ships to safety, lighthouses now glow as symbols of heritage, wonder, and connection. Each year on the third weekend of August, the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend brings together people from around the globe to celebrate these coastal icons. The event was launched in 1998 by John Forsyth and Mike Dalrymple of Scotland's Ayr Amateur Radio Group. It aims to raise awareness about preserving lighthouses and lightships while also promoting amateur radio and encouraging international goodwill.
Among the many lighthouses that carry this legacy forward is the Lyngvig Lighthouse in Denmark, featured here. Standing over 120 feet tall, this tower was built in 1906 atop a 55-foot dune along the west coast of Jutland—the country's westernmost region. Made with a concrete foundation and brick walls, and finished with teak-framed windows and doors, the lighthouse originally required a team of three keepers. They maintained its light until 1965. It has been operating automatically ever since. Following a temporary closure in 2024 due to structural concerns, the lighthouse is now open to the public again.