Gdańsk: If you have more time...
The Gdańsk New Port Lighthouse/www.gdansk.pl, Urząd Miejski w Gdańsku
The Gdańsk New Port Lighthouse was commissioned in 1894, to replace the old lighthouse, and for 90 years until 1984, pointed to the vessels entering the port of Gdańsk. Today it is only a tourist attraction. The lighthouse has been decommissioned, but is open to visitors from May to September. It is located between the functioning lighthouses in Hel and the Gdańsk Northern Port. However it is this one in the New Port that has the reputation as one of the most beautiful on the Baltic. The Tower, modelled on the now defunct Cleveland lighthouse in the United States, measures over 31m. When it was in operation, the light penetrated a distance of 17 nautical miles (or 31.484 km). It also served as a tower for the port pilots and the base for the time ball, according to which ships at anchor could precisely adjust their chronometers necessary for accurate navigation at noon every day. A bullet was removed from it in 1929, but today there is a new one which was installed in 2008. An interesting fact is that it was from the windows of the lighthouse that on 1 September 1939 a shot was fired, which for the crew of the Schleswig-Holstein ship was a sign to start the barrage of Westerplatte. The Polish defenders 'fought back' with two shots from a cannon, one of which reached its goal - traces of which, in the form of the lighter bricks, can be seen today. There was no other damage, so the historical optical devices are preserved inside. You can also see the 'Lighthouses of Gdańsk over the centuries' exhibition. Furthermore, it is difficult to find a better vantage point with a panoramic view of the Port of Gdańsk, Westerplatte and the entire Gulf of Gdańsk.