The Söderskär lighthouse

The Soderskar lighthouse is an old lighthouse on the island of Mattland in the archipelago in the Gulf of Finland, off the municipality of Porvoo, in the Uusimaa region.

This historic lighthouse  is located on a small island in the Gulf of Finland about 12 km south of Kalkstrand. It was built in 1862 by the Finnish architect Ernst Bernhard Lohrmann. In the 18th century the Russians had already installed unlit beacons and in 1825, a bitter stone.

The island is part of the Söderskär Nature Conservation Area protected by the Ramsar Convention and the Natura 2000 Network. It is accessible only by boat. The accommodations are available during the summer period and the lighthouse can be visited during this period.
 The lighthouse building received the 2010 building protection decision. According to the decision, it is of significant cultural and historical importance, both in terms of its maritime and technical history and its construction and use history. The lighthouse must be kept as intact as possible internally and externally, and must only be repaired and its technical equipment removed. The lighthouse is privately owned and serves as a tourist destination.

Graphic designer, furniture designer, writer and painter Pehr Louis Sparre af Sofdeborg leased Söderskär in 1905 for his former Kalamaja painting needs. Poet Arvo Turtiainen and other members of the Writers ‘and Artists’ Association Kiilainen take Motor Boat Tours to Söderskär. Arto Turtiainen wrote the poem Söderskär. Metsahallitus graphic artist Jari Kostet has photographed Söderskär and held an exhibition there.
Tove Jansson has been inspired by her book Moomin Papa and the Sea at Söderskär.

Access : Coordinates:   / Söderskär is located in the Porvoo outer archipelago , about 15 miles (approximately 28 km) from Helsinki. / Söderskär lighthouse can be reached during the summer by daily cruise from Helsinki, both from the Market Square and the Vuosaari Aurinkoranta.

Highlights :

• Only guided tours are organized on the island for bird nesting, May 1st – July 31st. Guided tours start from the first days of June to mid-August at Kalkkiranta and early September from Aurinkolahti. After the breeding season, independent boating and beaching is possible without obtaining permission.
• A suspension bridge takes you to the adjacent cliff. You can walk and take pictures on the suspension bridge, but access to the neighboring islet is blocked.
• The lighthouse, which is over 150 years old, has a great deal of history, and there is an exhibition on the life of lighthouse guards and pilots in Soderskar.

LightHouse Specifications : Completed : 1862 , automated : 1957 ,Height : 32.5 m , octagonal , light brown brick-and-white tower with a terrace gallery and black lantern.

Opening hours in 2019 : There is free access to the island but for the sake of bird nesting, landing on the Söderskär lighthouse and pilot island is prohibited from 1 May to 31 July. , other islands and islets.

Note : Only guided tours are organized on the island during the bird watching season, May 1st – July 31st. Guided tours start from the first days of June to mid-August at Kalkkiranta and early September from Aurinkolahti. After the breeding season, independent boating and beaching is possible without obtaining permission.

Activities :  Guided Day Tours / Cruises to Soderskar Lighthouse / sightseeing / photo opportunities / trekking / Daily cruises from Sipoo Lime Beach / bird watching

Go next : The Bengtskär lighthouse / Porvoo a scenic small town / towns of Nikkila and Soderkulla / Loviisa is a town in Uusimaa on the Finnish south coast