Akmeņrags Lighthouse and the fate of the "Saratov"
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The Akmeņrags Lighthouse is located in Saka parish, 10 kilometres southwest of Pāvilosta. The top of the lighthouse can be reached by a spiral staircase and it offers views of the sea and the surrounding forests. Standing at 37 metres high, the current lighthouse tower was built in 1921, while the previous lighthouse was destroyed during World War I.
The Akmeņrags Lighthouse stands out among other lighthouses in Latvia, as it is located in one of the most dangerous places for sailing in the entire Baltic Sea coast. The signal beam of the lighthouse marks a rocky bank, which extends approximately two nautical miles or 3.7 kilometres into the sea in a north-western direction. The depth of the bank is just over two metres. The location of the lighthouse has remained unchanged, but the coastline has been receding over the years. Although a navigation light has been here since 1879, Akmeņrags has seen several shipwrecks. The most notable occurred in September 1923 when a Latvian steamer named Saratow struck the ground. In 1919, Saratow briefly served as the seat of the Latvian Provisional Government. Akmeņrags used to be home to a border guard post, and buildings of the Soviet Army are can be viewed here.
Used sources and references:
Lighthouses - Ventspils Freeport Authority (portofventspils.lv)
https://www.latvia.travel/lv/apskates-vieta/akmenraga-baka
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Excursion to Akmenrag lighthouse
It is possible to climb the Akmeņraga lighthouse via a spiral staircase. Climbing the lighthouse offers a fantastic view of the sea and surrounding forests. The lighthouse is the main ornament of Akmeņraga. In 2011, during the implementation of the project, the road to the Akmeņraga lighthouse was reconstructed. Far beyond the borders of Akmeņraga, information has spread about the unique collection of amber and stones collected by the lighthouse keeper.
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