Described by some as the “loneliest hotel in Germany,” the Roter
Sand lighthouse, some 30 miles off the coast of Bremerhaven, Lower
Saxony, has been welcoming guests for over 10 years. But the
lighthouse itself is 125 years old.
The Roter Sand was built in 1885, and was considered a technical
marvel at that time as it was the first ever structure built on the
sea floor at a depth of 22 metres. For almost 80 years the red,
white and black lighthouse was the first thing sailors saw on their
way into the port city, and the last thing millions of emigrants
saw before their ships reached the North Sea on their journey to
the New World. But by 1964 its steel foundations became unstable
and the lighthouse was decommissioned.
In1987, a spectacular rescue action restored the 31-metre tall
building’s foundation, and following a restoration of the interior,
the German Foundation for Monument Protection (DSD) worked to open
the protected lighthouse to the public. Since the first visitors
scaled the stairs of the Roter Sand in 1999, the lighthouse has
welcomed some 5,500 day trippers and 800 overnight guests.
Earlier the lighthouse keepers were hauled up to the lighthouse in
a large basket. Guests are however afforded the luxury of a
step-bridge between the structure and a tugboat to enter which is
more secure than traveling on a basket.
A picture from 1929 shows the use of the basket.
With room for up to six overnight guests, the tower comprises
one communal bedroom, a combined kitchen and living area, and a
bathroom. Guests must supply their own sleeping bags and towels but
will arrive to find a fully-stocked kitchen, although they must do
their own cooking. There is also no electricity or heating.
There is also a ban on alcohol in the lighthouse due to the 70
well-worn steps between this room and the toilet.
Day trips to the Roter Sand run around €75. Two days with one
overnight stay are a little pricier at €488 per person, and three
days with two nights costs €573 per person. But those hoping to
visit the Roter Sand will have to be patient. The tugboat “Goliath”
can only make the trip to the lighthouse on calm seas, which means
that bookings – available only June through September – can be
cancelled at the last minute. The guests who stay in the lighthouse
can also get stuck if the weather turns bad overnight preventing
their pickup the next day.
The Roter Sand celebrated its 125th birthday on November 1, last
year. In honor of the lighthouse’s birthday, the German tourism
board plans to spend €150,000 on renovations next year.
