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208Geordie
Although Hanko is the southern most point on mainland Finland, Bengtskär is the southern most island and well worth a day trip from Hanko. It marks the entrance to the Gulf of Finland and the route through the archipelago to Turku. It was built in 1906 mainly from granite blocks carved from the island but stones from the mainland were used for the 4 storey building which originally housed the 5 keepers and their families. Now one floor is a hotel for seminars or weddings or just to say "I slept in a lighthouse!" There is a cafe, musem, small chapel and history. It is 25kms SW of Hanko, is 52m above sea level and there are 252 steps to the light. Phew it's a climb! In WW11 the Russians intended to blow it up, they were occupying Hanko which they called Gangut as they couldn't pronounce Hangko. There was a small Finnish garrison on the island however, the Finns were aware of the plot and strengthened the garrison. At first the Russians had the advantage and managed to get into the ground floor, the Finns upstairs,were running our of ammunition but as Russian soldiers start to climb they rolled a hand grenade down the steps and the Russians ran out into the open and that was the end of the battle. We were fortunate in that the Father of one of our friends who made the trip with us was a soldier on the island and was wounded in the battle and survived.It's well worth the visit taking 90 minutes for the trip from Hanko but lunch is served consisting of a large bowl of salmon and potato soup which was excellent. On the way back the crew BBQ'd some tasty sausages for everyone and there was plenty of beer in the bar. Departure from Hanko is at 1100hrs returning around 1630hrs, a most enjoyable day.,,,
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LariEspoo_Finland
Absolutely fabulous experience. We took a ferry from Hanko (90 minutes one way) with my wife and two daughters (10 and 7) and headed for a day trip to Bengtsär. Environment is absolutely beautiful, the lighthouse is the tallest in Scandinavia and has very exciting history. We are already planning to go there again for an overnight trip. This is a must go place if just weather permits.
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JariJK
This is one of the most interesting sights in Finland! Bengtskär Lighthouse was built in 1906 and it is the tallest lighthouse in the Nordic countries (52 meters above the sea). The small island is full of history and the beauty of the nature. You can climb on the top of the lighthouse, visit a small museum or dark soldier tunnels (borrow a flashlight from the coffeehouse, otherwise you may hurt yourself) and admire the beauty of the sea. There are also two coffeehouses in the lighthouse.Bengtskär Lighthouse is situated 25 kilometers southwest of the city of Hanko. There are daily cruises (in the summer) from Hanko to Bengtskär - and sometimes from the city of Turku, too. However, I recommend that you stay overnight in Saaristokylpyla Kasnas Skargardsbad (Saaristokylpylä Kasnäs Skärgårdsbad), Kasnäs (see reviews in TripAdvisor). There are daily cruises (so called Archipelago Sights Route, in June, July and August) from the harbour of that hotel to Rosala Viking Centre and Bengtskär Lighthouse. Both boat transfers, admissions fees, guiding (also in English) and peakpearch soup are included in the price of those cruises. Prebooking is highly recommended because cruises may be sold out two weeks earlier during the high season. Or you can take a private taxi boat from Kasnäs to Bengtskär.There is also a small hotel in the lighthouse building. Again, early prebooking is needed.Have a nice voyage and a lifetime experience!
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Birding_vagrant
Bengtskär is a small, isolated island in the middle of the Baltic. Boats from Hanko are a bit expensive, €65, but they include guided tour ashore. I am not an artsy person, but I was amazed by the colors of the island's meadows and tidal pools. Like most all places in Finland, there was WWII history on the island. There was an exhibition and a bunker. A flashlight is a requirement if you go to the bunker. There is not much to see there anyhow. If you come with a tour boat, wait until the crowd has gone to the lighthouse tower. There is not much room up there for a large group, so if you go with the crowd, you might end up just turning back as soon as you've gone up not to irritate people that are lining to it. Some kids were afraid to climb ladders, so if you are scared of ladders, mind that. Birding is rather good, good possibility to see jaegers, might also be shorebirds in migration.
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Miranna
We visited this lighthouse as a part of a day cruise package starting from Kasnäs, stopping by at Rosala Viking Centre (incl. fish soup lunch which was delicious) and visiting the Bengtskär lighthouse.You can also overnight at the lighthouse (book ahead with extra cost)The trip takes a full day. We started from Helsinki at 8am and were at Kasnäs right on time (with a short coffee break on the way)On the way back we had supper at Ekenäs (Tammisaari) and got back to Helsinki at 10pm
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258harrik
Lighthouse is the most southern spot of Finland, middle of the ocean, but still actually not that far from the mainland. Island itself is very small, and the lighthouse kinda feels oversized in regards to the size of the island.we bought this package which contained boat trip via Rosala (where we had lunch at the Viking Center, which was actually very nice experience with kids, even though I didnt expect too much, all the best and thanks to the people at Rosala!). Trip takes like 2-3 hours with the stop. We were welcomed by a young friendly lad at Bengtskär and shown our rooms. We had a large family room. Facilities are very worn down, and there's a toilet by the hallway, dont know where the shower(s) are, since we went to the sauna in the evening and a quick morning swim. Anyone that expects hotel like room and service will be disapponted. But in return there's the slow relaxed feeling, friendly "service" (Turku University apparently owns partly the lighthouse and employs row of student slaves here in the summertime), nice people, helpful and easy going, bit of "back to nature" green bare foot going seen too. Sauna shifts are given, latest at 22:00-23:00. Sauna is over 100yrs old and 25m from the sea, short walk and you can swim in (ice cold) sea (even naked as the finnish tradition is) if you wish. Dinner is served 19:00, nothing spectacular clearly, but tasty basic food. There's a long table where at least most of the guests staying overnight cam have their dinner and chat with the other guests. Beer/soft drinks and so on can be picked up from the cantina even in the night, by writing on the list at the fridge door what tou took, and paying those when you leave. Island is small and there's not much to do, so it suits for someone looking for tranquillity, something different and time to relax (maybe alone?). There's a tourist boat that arrives after midday and stays there cpl of hours, after that's gone (plus the one you arrived on at 16:15) island quiets down.All in all nice experience, with kids maybe good to bring some amusement (books, games, 3G or maybe even 4G works perfectly, but watching tv or playing internet games is not what you want your kids to do here). Price of the whole thingy with cpl of beers and cokes was 400 eur (1 adult, 2kids).
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pcsqueen
We visited on a gorgeous June day, taking the boat from the Kasnas resort. (This particular boat trip also stops at the Rosala Viking Center. The Center itself isn't much, but it is nice to walk around the island if the weather's good.)The staff were very friendly, helpful, and informative. Our guide spent over 45 minutes explaining the lighthouse's history, strategic importance, and infrastructure. It was fascinating.One thing to note, however. This may not be the best option for people who experience limited mobility. Getting into and out of the boat which transported us could be a huge challenge for anyone with physical limitations. While there are level areas around the lighthouse itself, one must climb steps from the dock to the lighthouse, then climb more stairs to get into the building.
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JukkaH878
If you want to experince something totally different, visit the Bengtskär lighthouse. A unique, one of a kind lighthouse on a small island far from shore. We have visited a couple of times with friends a co-workers via taxiboat from Kasnäs or Hiittinen. Just the boat trip there is something to experince, since it goes through the most beautiful archipelago in the world. Trust me, when you're there and hear the history of the place, you will look at things from a new perspective. The view from the top of the lighthouse is spectacular. This place is authentic and you feel the history. Enjoy the lunch and hear the stories, I promise you will not be dissapointed.
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Miikkulainen
We were lucky; the sun was shining and there weren't any wind. The boat trip there was smooth and nice. The rocky island and the lighthouse looked beautiful in the sunshine. We spend 2 hours there, which was enough to see everything. We climbed up the stairs (252 steps) and admired the beautiful sea view, we squashed to the totally dark bunkers and imagined the horror during the war and spent a lot of time walking around the island and jumping on the rocks. We enjoyed the daytrip a lot.
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russelle629
If you like luxury dont go to Bengtskar. If you like unique experiences and quiet then do.This 100+ year old light house with its basic, but clean rooms sleeping 2-6 people in single beds with basic furniture and washing facilities, is a complete must. It isolation in the Finnish archipelago and it unique atmosphere are to die for. Little open sea tributaries to swim in, little rock pools to sit on a while away the day. There is of course a sauna and you negotiate your time slot so you can go naked if you wish. I LOVED THIS PLACEthere is good simple food mainly fish, a friendly atmosphere and the bost ride out whcih includes a stop at the Rosala Viking centre is an experience in itself.Do youself a favour and take a break for a night here
