Renovated Mehikoorma lighthouse draws crowds eager to view Russia through binoculars
More than 70 people visited Estonia's newly renovated Mehikoorma lighthouse in its first three hours, many using the chance to view the Russian shore less than two kilometers away through binoculars.
The Mehikoorma lighthouse, built in 1938 on the shore of Lake Peipus in southern Estonia, reopened on August 1 following renovation work, Lõuna-Eesti Postimees reports.
According to Toivo Aalja, a board member of the Mehikoorma Development Society, a queue formed at the tower on opening day, though the wait was not long — ten people at a time were allowed to climb up together with an accompanying guide.
More than 70 people visited the lighthouse in the first three hours. Many of them took the opportunity to look through binoculars at the Russian coast, since Mehikoorma sits at the narrowest point of Lake Peipus, where the opposite shore is just 1.8 kilometers away. From the lighthouse, visitors can use binoculars to make out the Russian coastline, a border post located there, and the border itself.
As part of the renovation, the lighthouse's staircase was replaced and protective railings were installed. Information about visiting the lighthouse is available online.
