The wind whistles incessantly, the rain pelts against the windows, raging waves lash against the coast - but the mighty lamps stoically show the ships on the seas the way. For centuries, seafaring romance has lent lighthouses a fascinating charm.
And that appeals not only to seafarers, but also to more and more holidaymakers all over Europe. Many disused lighthouses are therefore being converted into hotels and holiday flats. We show you our ten favourites.
1. Germany - the family-friendly lighthouse on ruegen
Too cramped, too unsafe, too remote. As a rule, lighthouses are not suitable for family holidays. The Breege lighthouse on Rügen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is an exception.
The tower was built in 2011 as a holiday home on the Bodden coast and offers enough space for six guests on five floors and 165 square metres. There is a fully equipped kitchen for catering.
From the newly built lighthouse in Breege, guests look out over the thatched roofs of the neighbouring houses to the island landscape of Rügen.
© Source: imago images/Kosecki
The fact that a lamp for shipping traffic has never shone in the lighthouse replica is quickly forgotten when enjoying the view of the Breeger Bodden from the gallery level and the all-round balcony.
By the way, the night sky is not quite real, but still beautiful - instead of real stars, Swarovski stones sparkle on the ceiling of the gallery. There is also a sauna and a beach chair for relaxation. The sandy beach is about 15 minutes' walk away.
Location: Deichallee 3, 18556 Breege (Island of Rügen)
Height: 19 metres
2. Germany - lighthouse with rollercoaster view
For children, spending the night in a lighthouse is an exciting adventure in itself. But a lighthouse in an amusement park makes children's eyes shine a little brighter.
In 2012, Europapark Rust in Baden-Württemberg recreated this lighthouse for a park-owned theme hotel based on the Bell Rock lighthouse in Scotland, the oldest lighthouse in the North Sea.
Europapark invested around 40 million euros in the "Bell Rock" theme hotel (225 rooms) with lighthouse replica.
© Source: imago images/Arnulf Hettrich
Instead of the Scottish coast, lighthouse guests at Europapark watch the roller coasters and carousels of the 95-hectare park (2019: around 5.8 million visitors).
Guests have the best view from the John F. Kennedy Suite in the top of the tower with sauna and whirlpool.
Location: Peter-Thumb-Straße 6, 77977 Rust
Height: 35 metres
3. France - Romantic sunset in Brittany
From the bedroom of the Kerbel Lighthouse in the Riantec district on the outskirts of the fishing town of Port-Louis in France, guests look out over the coast of Brittany from a height of 25 metres. The cosy accommodation is ideal for a romantic holiday in France for two.
Enjoy the sunrise over the Quiberon peninsula with your morning coffee. And French wine is recommended for the sunset over the bay of Lorienends. The 120 steps to the dome should be carefully considered.
The "Phare de Kerbel" watched over the French coastline from 1913, 47 years later it was decommissioned. Instead of lights, the dome now houses a sofa bed with bathroom and kitchenette for overnight guests.
There is also a living room and a bathroom with toilet.
Location: 71 Route de Port-Louis, 56670 Riantec
Height: 25 metres
4. Netherlands - Comfort lookout with harbour view
Perched on a dune above the harbour entrance of Ijmuiden in the municipality of Velsen in North Holland, the fiery red Seinpoststelling lighthouse has an attached lookout - a one-room hotel with panoramic views over the sea and beach.
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The lighthouse at the harbour of Ijmuiden watches over the coast in North Holland.
© Source: imago images/Jochen Tack
The living room and bedroom (40 square metres in total) with queen-size bed, open kitchen, balcony, air conditioning and central heating are comfortably furnished. Overnight guests can unwind in a double hammock while enjoying the sunsets.
Location: Seinpostweg 19, 1976 BT Ijmuiden, The Netherlands
Height: about 10 metres
5. Netherlands - champagne in the bedroom gallery
For more than 75 years, ship captains off the Dutch coast took their bearings from the lighthouse in Harlingen. Now the roles are reversed: hotel guests curiously watch the passing ships from the windows.
The square tower was converted into a stylish hotel with three floors for two people at the end of the 1990s. Those who like can pre-order a bottle of champagne in the cooler for their arrival. But guests have to earn it first, because the steep lighthouse staircase leads up 24 metres.
The square lighthouse stands in the old town of Harlingen.
© Source: imago images/Tasfoto
From a ladder in the all-round glazed bedroom gallery, guests can reach the top floor and take in the endless view of the sea and the villages in the hinterland. The daring can also venture outside. However, according to the operator, the stay on the secured walkway is "at your own risk".
Location: Havenweg 1, 8861 XH Harlingen
Height: 24 metres
6. Norway - Sleeping under the oldest lighthouse
This beautiful lighthouse in the municipality of Lindesnes has watched over shipping at the southern tip of Norway for more than 350 years. The building is the oldest lighthouse in all of Norway. Two lighthouse keepers work there to this day - the only ones in the whole country!
Oldest lighthouse in Norway: The last lighthouse keepers in the country work in Lindesnes.
© Source: imago images/Anetlanda
As the lighthouse is still active, guests can only stay overnight in the attached cottage. There is a kitchen, two bedrooms (four single beds and one double bed) and a crackling fireplace.
For families, the site is a great starting point to experience the nature of Norway's coasts on hikes or to observe it from a distance. The lighthouse and the attached museum can be visited free of charge by all guests.
Location: Lindesnesveien 1139, 4521 Lindesnes
Height: 38 metres
7. Sweden - cosy love nest in Kullaberg
The history of beacons in Sweden began more than 1000 years ago. The northern entrance to the Öresund was already one of the most used waterways in the world.
The "Kullens Fyr" lighthouse has been flashing at a height of almost 80 metres on a cliff in the Kullaberg nature reserve near Mölle since 1898. The signal lights up twelve times a minute and can be seen from 50 kilometres away.
"Kullens Fyr" has been shining on a cliff in the Swedish nature reserve of Kullaberg since 1898.
© Source: imago images/Alimdi
Right next to the active lighthouse is an observation post with a large window front where two people can spend the night. The cosy round bed hangs from the ceiling - a love nest with a panoramic view.
Visitors should hope for good weather, however, not only because of the great view: When it's foggy, a deafening foghorn sounds every 30 seconds!
Location: Kullens Fyr, Italienska vägen 323, 26377 Mölle
Height: 15 metres
8. Canary Islands - Luxury hotel on the "Isla Bonita
The "Faro de Punta Cumplida" is the first lighthouse hotel in the Canary Islands. La Palma, known as "La Isla Bonita" (the beautiful island), is the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands. A luxury hotel has opened in the lighthouse on the north coast in 2019. The renovation work took three years.
From the 34-metre-high lighthouse on La Palma, the sunset can be enjoyed at length.
© Source: Floatel GmbH
At the "Faro de Punta Cumplida", holidaymakers will find three suites, an infinity pool, a patio, a surrounding terrace - and, of course, the view from the 34-metre-high platform atop the lighthouse.
The terrace of the lighthouse was equipped with an infinity pool in 2019.
© Source: Floatel GmbH
By the way, it is actually still active and is operated by the port authority of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The "Faro de Punta Cumplida" is surrounded by a 5000 square metre garden - and the roaring Atlantic waves. The port of Talavera is only a short walk away, and after a short drive through banana plantations you reach the natural swimming pools in La Fajana.
Location: Calle Lomo Machín Bajo 66, 38726 La Palma
Height: 34 metres
9. Ireland - 109 steps to the kitchen
The Wicklow Head Lighthouse takes guests' breath away, and not just because of the great views from the historic arched windows. There are 109 steps up to the kitchen!
The octagonal lighthouse has towered over Ireland's picturesque coastline for 240 years. Until 1836, the building still had a lighthouse dome. But after a lightning strike, the tower burnt out completely. Construction workers then cut off the top and put a new roof on it.
Wicklow Head in Ireland: Lightning struck the octagonal lighthouse in 1836. Afterwards, the top was cut off.
© Source: imago images / Design Pics
Fortunately, the monument was not demolished at that time. Today, the decommissioned tower serves as accommodation with cosy furnishings for up to four self-catering guests.
The historic building with six floors is a good starting point for walks in County Wicklow. A coastal path leads past a seal colony, among other places.
Location: Dunbur Head, Wicklow, Ireland
Height: 28 metres
10. The "loneliest hotel" in the north sea - currently closed
The "Roter Sand" lighthouse stands 50 kilometres off the coast of Bremerhaven, north-east of the island of Wangerooge. For 125 years. In the middle of the North Sea.
The 50-metre bulwark showed ships the way through the tides for almost 100 years. At low tide it rises about 30 metres above sea level. The journey by tugboat takes about three hours and is only possible in calm seas.
On arrival, guests first have to climb a six-metre-high external ladder to the entrance. Under the lantern dome there are four floors with a bunk bedroom, a washroom and a kitchen, which is also a lounge.
You can't get more lonely than this: the lighthouse "Roter Sand" was in service for almost 100 years. Now an association is taking care of its preservation.
© Source: imago images/McPhoto
The "Red Sand" is considered the "loneliest hotel in Germany". This may be true of the secluded location, but certainly not of the facilities. There are no hotel comforts in the red and white lighthouse. Guests have to do without heating and electricity as well as alcohol. With good reason: the toilet is 70 steps down a well-trodden staircase - after a few glasses of beer or wine, the risk of injury increases. Cooking is done with tinned and some fresh food.
Incidentally, the North Sea alone determines whether visitors return to shore on schedule. The tugboat can only dock at the lighthouse when the sea is calm.
At the moment, however, the lighthouse is closed to visitors for safety reasons. But it is not impossible that the "Red Sand" will reopen soon. A support association is collecting donations for the renovation. Since it was first used for tourism in 1999, there have been around 800 overnight guests and 5500 day visitors.
Location: 53° 51' 18 North/08° 04' 54 East
Height: 50 metres
How to get there: By ship from Bremerhaven