Skagen's Vippefyr
The original lighthouse, which was the very first of its kind in Denmark, was built in 1627 and lasted until the 1700s. Since then, a faithful copy has been built, which now stands in exactly the same place as the original.
The Vippefyret lighthouse was originally built due to the many shipwrecks around Skagen and especially at Grenen, where the two seas meet and create dangerous ocean currents and gusts of wind. The lighthouse was designed to help guide ship traffic past the dangerous reef in the water.
The lighthouse worked by lowering the firewood basket on the lighthouse to the ground and when it was full of firewood, the fire was lit and the basket was tilted upwards so that ships could see the burning flame from afar.
In Denmark, tilting lighthouses were in operation until the last one on Anholt was shut down in 1799.
