Oviši Lighthouse

Built in 1814

Tower height – 37 m

Height above sea level – 38 m

Lighthouse visible – 15 nautical miles 

Oviši Lighthouse is considered the oldest surviving navigational structure in Latvia. A 33-meter-high, cylindrical brick tower. The construction of the lighthouse began in 1809, the current one in 1905. The construction of the lighthouse was completed in 1814 and has survived to this day without architectural changes.

The lighthouse is 37 m high and houses an exhibition on the history of lighthouses. 

The white beacon, visible 7,5 miles away, flashes once every 7,5 seconds. Oviši Lighthouse is located in Tārgale parish, Ventspils region. 

The diameter of the stone tower is 11,5 m and inside it is a second tower with a diameter of 3,5 m. The height of the tower (without the lantern) is 29,6 m, and the height of the lantern (without the weather vane, but including the base) is 6 m. 

The lighthouse also had a light apparatus with searchlight lenses, powered by a clockwork mechanism, but this mechanism was taken to Russia in 1915. The German occupation authorities installed a new light apparatus with an acetylene torch, which was used until 1961.

In addition to the exhibits − navigational items that were used at different times in various lighthouses, including in Oviši − new interactive exhibits are now available, created using the latest technologies, so you can explore the history of navigation not only visually, but also by hearing and touching.

From the lighthouse, in good weather conditions, you can see the neighboring Miķeļbāk lighthouse, the tallest in the Baltics (59 m), while in the sea you can see Latvia's newest lighthouse, the Irbe lighthouse, which was built only in 1986.