Örskär – one of the most beautiful lighthouses in Sweden
The Örskär lighthouse station is on the boundary to the Gulf of Bothnia, on the outskirts of the archipelago north of Gräsö at Öresundsgrepen. Shipping has travelled through the archipelago and passed Öregrund for hundreds of years, passing Örskär on their travels.
This lighthouse has helped seafarers to avoid the hazardous shallows that Grundkallen and the Finngrundsbankar. A wooden beacon was built on the island as early as 1687, but this was struck by lightning in 1738 and burned down. The present lighthouse, made of stone, was built that same year, with a wooden lantern room. This lighthouse, 36.5 metres high, was designed by the famous architect Carl Hårleman. This is a unique lighthouse as it has no steps at all – instead, you can walk up to the lantern room via a spiral walkway. This design enabled barrels of oil to be rolled all the way up to the lantern room. The lighthouse was demanned in 1997.
The cliffs of Örskär are said to be the biggest ice traps anywhere in Södra Kvarken. This is where the ice masses first meet land when the northerly winds from the Gulf of Bothnia are blowing, which allows enormous and magnificent walls of ice to form on the cliffs around this lighthouse. This place is well worth a visit even in winter – if you can get here safely, anyway.
Last updated 2021-04-06