Germany - Holtenau Lioghthouse

Holtenau Nord

1895. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white or green light, depending on direction, occulting three times, separated by 2 s, every 12 s. 20 m (66 ft) round cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery rising from the front of a 2-story brick Imperial-style building. Lighthouse unpainted, lantern is black. A photo by Harald Hinnerichs is at right, Werning has a good page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a closeup photo by Ulrich Bode, another excellent photo is available, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a good satellite view. This lighthouse stands at the northeastern entrance of the Nord-Ostsee Kanal (Kiel Canal). Since 1895 this 98.7 km (61.3 mi) canal has provided a shortcut between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea via Kiel. The building includes a memorial hall, the Drei-Kaiser-Gedächtnishalle, in remembrance of Kaisers Wilhelm I, who inaugurated construction of the canal in 1887; Friedrich III, who turned the first shovel of dirt here in 1888, and Wilhelm II, who laid the cornerstone of the lighthouse in 1895. It also houses a registrar's office where weddings are performed. Located at the end of the Thiessenkai, the quay on the north side of the canal in Holtenau, about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Kiel. Site open, building open daily; it is not known if the tower can be climbed.