Långe Jan Lighthouse

Mörbylånga, Öland, Sweden

Långe Jan ("Tall John") is a Swedish lighthouse located at the south cape of Öland. It is one of Sweden's most famous lighthouses and also the tallest lighthouse in Sweden. The lighthouse was built in 1785, probably by Russian prisoner of wars. The tower was built by stone from an old chapel. Originally the light was an open fire, and the tower was unpainted. It was painted white in 1845, and the same year the tower's lantern was installed, to store a colza oil lamp. A couple of years later a black band was added to the tower.

The lighthouse remains in use and is remote-controlled by the Swedish Maritime Administration in Norrköping. During the summer-season it is possible to climb the tower, for a small fee. The buildings surrounding the tower is Ottenby birding station.

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Address

Ottenby 404, Mörbylånga, Öland, Sweden
See all sites in Mörbylånga, Öland

Details

Founded: 1785
Category:
Historical period: The Age of Enlightenment (Sweden)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.maritimeatlas.eu

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Carl X Gustav's Wall (6,1 km)
Ås Church (5,6 km)


Kalmar Castle (51,4 km)
Kalmar Cathedral (52,1 km)
Eketorp Fort (12,3 km)
Kristianopel Church (23 km)
Gråborg Castle (53,8 km)
Vickleby Church (42,5 km)
Algutsrum Church (54,3 km)
Mörbylånga Church (36 km)
Sandby Church (45,3 km)

User Reviews

Zecret W (9 months ago)
Nice place with a view. A "must" if you visit Öland but beware of the many steps to the top to enjoy the view. You can also spot lots of birds and seals in the shallow waters.
johnstearne68 (9 months ago)
Lovely place to see on your Swedish holiday on the Southernmost tip of Oland.Nice nature and bird conservation museum and good views from the top of the lighthouse
Andreas Hagelin (10 months ago)
A must see when in Öland with a spectacular view.
Ville Ällä (10 months ago)
The road here along the western coast was fairly terrible to cycle (due to traffic and no room beyond the white line), and it was very crowded (early August), but the view was worth it -- both from up in the lighthouse and along the way there, where there are those black cows & sheep grazing on the open fields right next to the road.
Anna Nilsson (10 months ago)
Very picturesque lighthouse at the tip of Öland-beautiful surroundings. You can actually walk up the lighthouse, but I was not physically able to do that this visit. Next time!! The cafeteria style restaurant serves very good food with a wide selection and a spectacular view of the water. There is the bird sanctuary Ottenby you can walk through, plus an old burial ground from the iron age within driving distance right before you exit the reserve. Also, during the summer you can stop by the Ottenby Royal Manor and enjoy the art gallery.
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Porta Nigra

The Porta Nigra (Latin for black gate) is the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps. It is designated as part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name Porta Nigra originated in the Middle Ages due to the darkened colour of its stone; the original Roman name has not been preserved. Locals commonly refer to the Porta Nigra simply as Porta.

The Porta Nigra was built in grey sandstone between 186 and 200 AD. The original gate consisted of two four-storied towers, projecting as near semicircles on the outer side. A narrow courtyard separated the two gate openings on either side. For unknown reasons, however, the construction of the gate remained unfinished. For example, the stones at the northern (outer) side of the gate were never abraded, and the protruding stones would have made it impossible to install movable gates. Nonetheless, the gate was used for several centuries until the end of the Roman era in Trier.

In Roman times, the Porta Nigra was part of a system of four city gates, one of which stood at each side of the roughly rectangular Roman city. The Porta Nigra guarded the northern entry to the Roman city, while the Porta Alba (White Gate) was built in the east, the Porta Media (Middle Gate) in the south, and the Porta Inclyta (Famous Gate) in the west, next to the Roman bridge across the Moselle. The gates stood at the ends of the two main streets of the Roman Trier, one of which led north-south and the other east-west. Of these gates, only the Porta Nigra still exists today.

In the early Middle Ages the Roman city gates were no longer used for their original function and their stones were taken and reused for other buildings. Also iron and lead braces were broken out of the walls of the Porta Nigra for reuse. Traces of this destruction are still clearly visible on the north side of the gate.

After 1028, the Greek monk Simeon lived as a hermit in the ruins of the Porta Nigra. After his death (1035) and sanctification, the Simeonstift monastery was built next to the Porta Nigra to honor him. Saving it from further destruction, the Porta Nigra was transformed into a church: The inner court of the gate was roofed and intermediate ceilings were inserted. The two middle storeys of the former gate were converted into church naves: the upper storey being for the monks and the lower storey for the general public. The ground floor with the large gates was sealed, and a large outside staircase was constructed alongside the south side (the town side) of the gate, up to the lower storey of the church. A small staircase led further up to the upper storey. The church rooms were accessible through former windows of the western tower of the Porta Nigra that were enlarged to become entrance doors (still visible today). The top floor of the western tower was used as church tower, the eastern tower was leveled, and an apse added at its east side. An additional gate - the much smaller Simeon Gate - was built adjacent to the East side of the Porta Nigra and served as a city gate in medieval times.

In 1802 Napoleon Bonaparte dissolved the church in the Porta Nigra and the monastery beside it, along with the vast majority of Trier"s numerous churches and monasteries. On his visit to Trier in 1804, Napoleon ordered that the Porta Nigra be converted back to its Roman form. Only the apse was kept; but the eastern tower was not rebuilt to its original height. Local legend has it that Napoleon originally wanted to completely tear down the church, but locals convinced him that the church had actually been a Gaulish festival hall before being turned into a church. Another version of the story is that they told him about its Roman origins, persuading him to convert the gate back to its original form.

In 1986 the Porta Nigra was designated a World Heritage Site, along with other Roman monuments in Trier and its surroundings. The modern appearance of the Porta Nigra goes back almost unchanged to the reconstruction ordered by Napoleon. At the south side of the Porta Nigra, remains of Roman columns line the last 100 m of the street leading to the gate. Positioned where they had stood in Roman times, they give a slight impression of the aspect of the original Roman street that was lined with colonnades. The Porta Nigra, including the upper floors, is open to visitors.

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