Lesnoy on the Curonian Spit

• Lesnoy is located within the Curonian Spit National Park.
• The Lesnoy Lighthouse was built in 1982 and stands on the promenade in the town.
• Its signal is visible up to 17 miles away at sea and in the lagoon.

The lighthouse is located on the Curonian Spit, on the promenade in Lesnoy. From the sea, it appears as a white-and-red rectangle. Its signal is visible up to 17 miles away both at sea and in the lagoon. The structure’s height, color, and range describe different aspects: it is 40 meters high, while its signal is visible across both bodies of water.

The present-day lighthouse has its own construction history. Its predecessor stood closer to the sea, was damaged by a storm surge in 1975, and was subsequently dismantled. The concrete foundation of the former lighthouse can be seen on the beach by the promenade. This makes it possible to view the present structure and the traces of its predecessor as two distinct chapters in the town’s history.

The town is located within the Curonian Spit National Park. In Kaliningrad Oblast, the national park was established on the southern half of the spit on November 6, 1987, by Resolution No. 423. The Curonian Spit itself is a 98-kilometer-long sandy peninsula, between 350 meters and 3.8 kilometers wide. It forms a natural barrier between the salt water of the Baltic Sea and the freshwater of the Curonian Lagoon.

The spit straddles the Russian-Lithuanian border and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000 in the “Cultural Landscape” category. This distinction is important for orientation: Lesnoy is located in the national park, while the measurements and World Heritage designation mentioned above refer to the Curonian Spit as a whole.

On the Russian part of the Curonian Spit, the national park has seven ecological trails and three tourist excursion routes. The six named trails are “Korolevskiy Bor” (kilometer 6), “Vysota Myullera” (kilometer 32), “Rossittenskiy Les” (kilometer 33), “Tantsuyushchiy Les” (kilometer 37), “Vysota Efa” (kilometer 42), and “Ozero Lebed” (kilometer 45). They are open around the clock and year-round. They may be temporarily closed due to weather or for necessary restoration work; check the park’s latest notices before visiting.

The “Fringilla” eco-trail has a separate visitor requirement: it runs through the grounds of the Rybachy Biological Station’s field station. From April to October, visits are possible only as part of a guided tour with at least ten people. The national park’s visitor center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May to September. From October to April, it is open five days a week, except Mondays and Tuesdays. Since opening hours can change, confirm the schedule with the park before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Polessk, Zaozyornoye, Laskino, Krymskoye, Svetlogorsk, Bolshakovo, Chernyshevskoye and Kutuzovo.

Where is the Lesnoy Lighthouse?

It is located on the Curonian Spit, on the promenade in the town of Lesnoy.

What remains of the lighthouse’s predecessor?

The concrete foundation of the former lighthouse can be seen on the beach by the promenade.

When can you visit the “Fringilla” eco-trail?

From April to October, visits are possible only as part of a guided tour with at least ten people.

Back to the regional travel overview: Kaliningrad Oblast.