Leuchtfeuer Balje

The Leuchtturm Balje stands on the Lower Elbe in Lower Saxony. It was built in 1903 as a leading and cross-mark light to guide ships after the Kiel Canal opened. The tower sits on the extended axis of the Brunsbüttel Lock and began service on 1 February 1904. The light was originally powered by petroleum, then switched to liquid gas in 1927. Electric operation started in 1962, and the keepers were withdrawn as remote monitoring began. In December 1974 the surrounding polder landscape became a nature reserve. After a new range of lights took over, the old tower was switched off on 15 December 1980 and later placed under preservation orders. Visitors can now reach the tower each July and August. The Förderverein Baljer Leuchtturm v. 1904 restored the building in 2010. The brick structure rises beside the dike, offering views across the wide Elbe and the protected marshland beyond.