Bengtskär lighthouse is located in the Archipelago Sea about 25 kilometres south west of Hanko, Finland. The lighthouse was built in 1906 on the Bengtskär skerry where it rises 52 meters above sea level and is the highest one in the Nordic countries. This rocky skerry is the southernmost inhabited place in Finland, and is reached by ferry from the village of Kasnäs. Soviet troops landing there tried to explode the lighthouse during the Battle of Bengtskär during the Continuation War in 1941. Bengtskär lighthouse is nowadays a popular tourist destination and is visited roughly 13 000 to 15 000 tourists every year.
When the lighthouse was completed in 1907, a five-man crew was hired to live on the island: a lighthouse master, three lighthouse keepers and a foghorn operator. They lived on the island with their families for several years and seldom visited the mainland. The families were nearly self-sufficient: they had sheep, pigs and a small vegetable garden. Sometimes, during autumn storms, waves would wash over the whole island, sweeping away the valuable garden. Thank you Merja for this pretty card.
