Lighthouses of Europe

Lighthouses have been guiding sailors along dangerous coasts and into harbors for centuries. Their function is immortal, though ships now navigate by satellites and computer charts. They are still fall-back systems, but something more than that – they are heritage sites and cultural symbols, reminders of how important sea travel has always been to Europe.

The oldest surviving lighthouse still in use is the Tower of Hercules in A Coruña, Spain. Built in the 1st century CE by the Romans, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site (UNESCO). Another notable lighthouse is the Cordouan Lighthouse at the mouth of the Gironde estuary in France, completed in 1611. It is sometimes called “the king of lighthouses” because of its long history, its elegant architecture, and its role as one of the first lighthouses built entirely of stone that is still in operation today.

Today, hundreds of lighthouses are scattered along Europe’s coasts, estuaries, and islands.

The map shows their wide distribution—from the Atlantic coasts of Portugal and Ireland, across the North and Baltic Seas, to the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

The map shows their wide distribution – from the Atlantic coasts of Portugal and Ireland, across the North and Baltic Seas, to the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

Some are built as tall stone towers, others as skeletal iron frameworks. Some stand directly on cliffs, while others rise from artificial islands or even riverbanks.

Therefore, lighthouses vary greatly in height. Taller towers meant their lights reached farther out to sea, which was a clear advantage in regions with heavy maritime traffic.

Below is a table of Europe’s tallest traditional lighthouses, according to Wikipedia.

The tallest lighthouses in Europe

Lighthouse	Country	Height (m)	Height (ft)
Île Vierge Lighthouse	France	82.5	271
Lighthouse of Genoa (La Lanterna)	Italy	76–77	249–253
Phare de Gatteville	France	75	247
Lesnoy Mole Rear Range Light	Russia	73	239
Storozhenskiy Light	Russia	71	233
Osinovetsky Light	Russia	71	233
Punta Penna Lighthouse	Italy	71	233
Vittoria Light	Italy	68	223
Cordouan Lighthouse	France	68	223
Planier Light	France	66	216
Maasvlakte Light	Netherlands	66	216
Campen Lighthouse	Germany	65	213
Lange Nelle Lighthouse	Belgium	65	213
Phare d’Eckmühl	France	65	213
Świnoujście Lighthouse	Poland	65	212
Adziogol Lighthouse	Ukraine	64	211
Chipiona Light	Spain	62	205
Bari Light	Italy	62	205
Aveiro Light	Portugal	62	203
Voslapp Range Rear Light	Germany	62	202
Roches-Douvres Light	France	60	197
Borkum Großer Light	Germany	60	197

Even though their height makes them impressive feats of engineering, each lighthouse also carries cultural and historical value. Some stand at busy shipping lanes, others are symbols of local identity, and many are preserved as heritage monuments.