Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Estonia Saaremaa Kiipsaare Lighthouse

Kiipsaare Lighthouse

Once standing on solid ground, this slender beacon is a victim of the very shoreline it was charged with announcing.

Saaremaa, Estonia

Added By
ahvenas
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The leaning lighthouse of Kiipsaare, off the island of Saaremaa, Estonia.   Abrget47j
The lighthouse has straightened up a bit in more recent years.   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Officially inactive (and closed to the public), for the intrepid hiker there is an open door and stairs up to the top.   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Now cast out to sea, until the late 20th century the lighthouse stood on solid ground.   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
The view from the top.   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Sunset at Kiipsaare lighthouse.   Abrget47j
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The slender beacon off the coast of the Estonian island of Saaremaa casually leans to one side, continually beaten by the waves of the Baltic Sea.

When the lighthouse was built, in 1933, it stood on solid ground, more than 80 feet (25 meters) in from the coast. But over the course of the later 20th century, as erosion took its toll, the tower was set out to sea.

The concrete structure has kept moving farther into the sea (or, rather, the sea has kept chomping away at the shoreline), with the waves and currents causing its famous Pisa-like tilt. At its worst it slumped 15 degrees out of plumb, but as those same waves and currents have shifted again, the underlying foundation has straightened up significantly. Still, from a certain angle it looks like the whole thing will topple over. 

Standing 82 feet tall, the history of the Kiipsaare leaning lighthouse goes back further than its construction. A station has been on this spot since 1879, guiding ships through the dangerous and shifting shores of Estonia. Over the course of the 80-plus years since this one was built, the lonely lighthouse has become a victim of the very coastline it was charged with announcing. Today, it is surrounded by water, and has been inactive since 1992. It’s not clear what is ultimately in store for the Kiipsaare lighthouse. The options are as wide open as the Baltic Sea.

Related Tags

Lighthouses Islands Abandoned Towers Oceans Flooded Towers

Know Before You Go

The lighthouse is off the northwest coast of Estonia's Saaremaa island, and you will need your own transportation to visit. It is located in the Vilsandi National Park nature reserve. You can leave the car in the parking area and walk the trail for the last 3 miles (5 km) to the beach. Be prepared for an hour hike (one way). Officially the lighthouse is closed, but the outside door is long gone and if you are able to heave yourself up, you can take the stairs all the way to the top.

Community Contributors

Added By

ahvenas

Edited By

aribrown, Ruprecht007

  • aribrown
  • Ruprecht007

Published

April 17, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2013/09/the-leaning-kiipsaare-lighthouse-watches-silently-over-the-baltic/
  • http://www.7is7.com/otto/estonia/harila2.html
  • https://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/est.htm
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiipsaare_Lighthouse
Kiipsaare Lighthouse
Unnamed Road
Vilsandi National Park
Saaremaa
Estonia
58.495794, 21.8411
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Ninase Windmills

Mustjala Parish, Estonia

miles away

Kaali Meteorite Crater Field

Kaali, Estonia

miles away

Kõpu Lighthouse

Mägipe, Estonia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Estonia

Estonia

Europe

Places 92
Stories 7

Nearby Places

Ninase Windmills

Mustjala Parish, Estonia

miles away

Kaali Meteorite Crater Field

Kaali, Estonia

miles away

Kõpu Lighthouse

Mägipe, Estonia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Estonia

Estonia

Europe

Places 92
Stories 7

Related Stories and Lists

18 Slightly Submerged Architectural Wonders

List

By Jonathan Carey

31 of the World's Most Alluring Lighthouses

lighthouses

By Eric Grundhauser

Related Places

  • An aerial view of Inishtrahull lighthouse on Inishtrahull Island.

    County Donegal, Ireland

    Inishtrahull

    Ireland's most northerly island is hauntingly beautiful. Its lighthouse was the last glimpse of home for many Irish emigrants bound for the U.S.

  • Atlantic City, New Jersey

    Absecon Lighthouse

    The third-tallest lighthouse in the United States stands as a reminder of Atlantic City's early days.

  • Farol dos Rosais

    São Jorge, Portugal

    Farol da Ponta dos Rosais

    On the cliffs of São Jorge in the Azores stand the remains of a lighthouse that was struck by a series of earthquakes.

  • Isle of May Beacon

    Isle of May, Scotland

    Isle of May Beacon

    This short white tower is all that's left of Scotland's first permanently manned lighthouse.

  • Barra Head Lighthouse.

    Outer Hebrides, Scotland

    Barra Head Lighthouse

    The highest lighthouse in Scotland shines from an abandoned island.

  • Precarious location.

    Ponta do Pargo, Portugal

    Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse

    Portugal’s highest lighthouse has one of the most impressive focal planes in the world.

  • St. Flannan’s Cell and Flannan Isles Lighthouse.

    Outer Hebrides, Scotland

    Flannan Isle Lighthouse

    What happened to the three lighthouse keepers who vanished from this place remains a mystery over a century later.

  • The deserted lighthouse.

    Willemstad, Curaçao

    Klein Curaçao

    Shipwrecks, ruins, and turtles are all that remain on this haunting Caribbean ghost island.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.