This is a story about Tajer – a lighthouse in Kornati and probably the most beautiful one in Croatia.
So, it was built in 1876 on the island of Vela Sestrica. The island is 590 meters long and 56 meters high with the surface of 93,671 square meters. It is situated on a strategicaly important position near the entrance of Telašćica and on the northwest entrance to Kornati National Park. The nearest port is 25 km far away.
History of Tajer, the only lighthouse in Kornati
The stones from the nearby islet of Mala Aba were used to built it.
Tajer is special for couple of reasons. Firstly, its octagonal tower (26 m high), coloured in red and white, is made out of iron and it was bought in France. In fact this is the only lighthouse with the metal tower in Croatia. Another special feature is its 60 meters long, closed bridge that connects the building with the lighthouse tower. The bridge was built afterwards in order to give a shelter to the crew while approaching the tower.
Moreover, this ligthouse has a courtyard and it is surrounded with a beautiful pine tree forest. On the north side of the island there is a boathouse with a large berth and a boat crane.
Interesting facts about lighthouses in Croatia
- There are 50 lighthouses along the Croatian coast!
- Nowadays only 16 lighthouses still have a crew of lighthouse keepers.
- The oldest lighthouse is the one on the cape of Savudrija built in 1818.
- The biggest Croatian lighthouse is the one on Palagruza.
- All the lighthouses in Croatia were built during the rule of Austrian-Hungarian Empire.
Renting a lighthouse
Nowadays, the company Plovput is the one taking care of all the lighthouses in Croatia. Some of these buildings are disposable for rent: Savudrija, Sveti Ivan, Porer, Veli Rat, Tajer, Sveti petar, Pločica, Struga, Susac and Plagruza.
More about lighthouses
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid. Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, reefs, rocks, and safe entries to harbors; they also assist in aerial navigation.
Wikipedia
The first navigational lights were bonfires lit on top of the hills. In Croatia the locations of these signal lights are still preserved today in more than forty local toponims with the root in “straža” meaning guard (Straža, Vela straža, Stražica, Stražišće). These lights provided safety in navigation through eastern part of the Adriatic.
A scientific study of lighthouses and signal lights, their construction and illumination is called pharology.
Here you can find more interesting facts about history of lighthouses.
