Jarosławiec Lighthouse

The lighthouse in Jarosławiec is a brick tower 33.3 m high, standing in the village itself and open to visitors. From the terrace at the top you can see Jarosławiec and its surroundings, and the lighthouse light has burned here since 1838.

Why the lighthouse stands in the middle of the village

Today's tower is the second structure on this site, because the first proved too low to serve. The need for construction was written about in 1818, the plans were changed several times, and in 1827 they were assessed by a commission at the ministry in Berlin. The first tower was built in 1829-1832, about 380 m from the shore. It was never put into operation: from the north-west it was hidden by trees and the roofs of houses, from the east by a spruce forest, and the inhabitants opposed felling.

So in 1835 it was decided to build a new lighthouse, and the old one was enlarged and turned into housing for the lighthouse keepers. The new tower, circular in plan and made of red brick, is divided by cornices into four storeys. The light was first lit in it on 1 July 1838.

How the light changed

At first fifteen Argand lamps burned rapeseed oil, with parabolic mirrors moved from the old lighthouse. In 1878 they were replaced by a Fresnel lens, and in 1912 the tower received electric power. The war damaged the lighthouse, and it resumed navigational service in 1946.

In 1975 the optical equipment was modernised and an AGA PRB-21 rotating lamp was installed, which works to this day. It consists of four panels of six 600 W bulbs and gives light to a distance of 23 nautical miles, from a height of 50.2 m above sea level. The light is a group flashing one, with a period of 9 seconds. The tower also carries the antenna of an AIS station, one of eleven on the Polish coast, and in 1996 a general renovation was carried out, filling the missing bricks in the cornices and walls.

Visiting and the view from the terrace

The lighthouse is supervised and open to visitors. Stone stairs inside the tower lead to the top, where a viewing terrace offers a panorama of the village and the area. Since 1993 the structure has been entered in the heritage register. It is administered by the Maritime Office in Szczecin (until the end of March 2020 this was done by the office in Słupsk).

Two hundred metres from the lighthouse is the Amber Museum in Jarosławiec, so the two places are easy to combine in one walk.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Szkolna 1, Jarosławiec, Postomino municipality, Sławno County.
• Location: in the centre of the village, between the lighthouses in Darłowo (about 15 km to the west) and in Ustka.
• Entry to the tower: current hours and visiting rules are given by the manager, the Maritime Office in Szczecin. Check them before your visit.
• To see on the spot: the old buildings left from the first, too low lighthouse, standing near the tower.