A red brick lighthouse from 1875, tucked a kilometre inland on a wooded dune. A secret rocket base hid it from visitors until 1994. Today, the climb up rewards you with a view of the shifting dunes, Lake Łebsko, and the Baltic.
Czołpino Lighthouse is a brick tower from 1872-1875, tucked away on a wooded dune in Słowiński National Park. The tower itself is 25 metres tall, but it stands on a 55-metre dune, so from the gallery you can see the shifting dunes, Lake Łebsko, and the Baltic. It is open from 1 May to 30 September; the approach follows a 1.5-kilometre trail from the forest car park in Smołdziński Las, about 30 minutes by car from Rowy plus a 20-minute walk.
Opening hours and tickets
The lighthouse is open from 1 May to 30 September: in May, up to mid-June, and in September from 9:00 to 18:00, and from 16 June to 31 August from 9:00 to 20:00. Outside the season it can only be visited by groups of more than 10 people, arranged in advance.
A ticket to the lighthouse costs 10 zł standard, 5 zł reduced (pupils, students, pensioners, disability pensioners, teachers, people with disabilities). Children up to 7, Karta Dużej Rodziny holders, and residents of Główczyce, Łeba, Smołdzino, Ustka, and Wicko enter free. The ticket to Słowiński National Park and the fee for the forest car park are bought separately.
How to reach the lighthouse
A 1.5-kilometre blue trail leads to the lighthouse from the forest car park in Smołdziński Las: through pine woods, heathland, and wooden boardwalks, ending with steep stairs up to the viewing gallery. From Rowy that is about 30 minutes by car plus 20 minutes on foot.
The lighthouse and the view from the gallery
The tower itself is 25 metres tall, but it stands on a 55-metre dune covered in forest, so the light shines out from about 75 metres above sea level, reaching nearly 39 kilometres. It was built from red facing brick between 1872 and 1875 and still shines through its original French Fresnel lens from 1926. From the gallery you can see the shifting dunes, Lake Łebsko, and the Baltic.
History: a secret firing range
Until the end of the 20th century, this was a restricted area. A secret military unit with rocket launchers operated right next door, so the lighthouse stayed off-limits. It only opened to visitors in July 1994. Dogs are not allowed, since the lighthouse sits within the park.
