Amrum Lighthouse

The Amrum Lighthouse stands on the German island of Amrum in the North Sea, about two kilometres west of Wittdün village. It sits on a high dune in the southern part of the island, within the municipality of Nebel. The tower is a well-known landmark and opens to visitors during the summer months. Its white light can be seen from 23.3 nautical miles away, making it one of the most powerful along the German North Sea coast. The lens, made of 16 converging panels, flashes every 7.5 seconds from a height of 63 metres above sea level. The lighthouse has a history tied to maritime safety. In 1868, a newspaper article about shipwrecks near Amrum and Sylt sparked debate on where to build a new lighthouse. Construction began in 1873 but faced delays, including missing materials and a workers’ strike. Despite these challenges, the brick tower was completed by late 1874 and activated on 1 January 1875. It was the first lighthouse built in Nordfriesland and became fully automated in 1984 after the last keeper left. Visitors can climb the tower and see the historic optic, a 2.7-metre-tall lens weighing 2.9 tonnes. Some parts of the mechanism, like a ball-bearing, lasted over a century before needing replacement. The lighthouse has also appeared on German postage stamps in 2005 and 2008. From the top, there are wide views over the island’s dunes and the surrounding sea. The nearby keeper’s house, now unused, reminds visitors of the lighthouse’s past role in guiding ships safely along the coast.