Lindesnes Lighthouse (Norwegian: Lindesnes fyr) is a coastal lighthouse located on the cape of the same name at the extreme southern point of mainland Norway. It is also Norway’s oldest surviving lighthouse, originally built on 27 February 1655.
Webcam aimed at the Lindesnes lighthouse
The lighthouse occupies a prominent position in the Skagerrak Strait, connecting the North and Baltic Seas, near the town of Linnesnes. This light beacon attracts many visitors in the county of Vest-Agder (up to one hundred thousand guests annually). In 2004, a museum was opened near the lighthouse, which also serves as a cultural center.
Cape Lindesnes plays an important role in navigation between the rocky coasts of Norway and the sandy shores of Denmark in the Skagerrak Strait, where fog, bad weather and strong sea currents are common.
The cape area is known as the site of numerous shipwrecks, so it was decided to build Norway’s first lighthouse here. In 1655, King Frederik III of Denmark issued a decree granting Powel Hansønn of Kristiansand the right to erect a lighthouse on Cape Lindesnes.
The construction was intended to be financed by funds collected from taxes on ships entering Norwegian ports south and east of Bergen. Despite difficulties caused by storms and delays, a three-story wooden tower with 30 candles was built, but the king ordered it to be put out the following year.