The abandoned Lighthouse
At this beautiful place in northern Denmark, on the highest point of the cliff and in save distance to the sea, Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse was built and in 1900 three lighthousekeepers moved in with their families. Each family had a house just around the lighthouse and together they build a big garden. But soon everything changed…
Lyme gras was planted and pine branches placed to slow up the sand drift, but the more they planted the larger grew the dune. They had to give up their well and their garden.
Finally the dune was so high that the ships at sea couldn’t see the light.
Summer 1968 the lighthouse was given up …
The lighthouse at Rubjerg Knude became 1980 a museum telling the story about sand drift, but neither this could stop the sand. Finally 12 years later the fight against nature was given up.
Slowly the buildings were buried in sand and in 2002 the Museum was closed. The dune was now heading north-east …
Today the sand has given the lighthouse totally free again and since last summer you can climb the tower to enjoy the fantastic view.
In 10 perhaps 15 years the story of the lighthouse ends, then it will be gone for ever. Not buried in sand but disappeared in the wawes due to the coastal erosion of the Danish west coast at this place.
The story of the sand drift continues. Wandering north-east the dune will once reach the east coast, back in the sea.