A Light Over Europe Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lake Constance

Lake Constance is situated between the countries of Austria, Switzerland and Germany. Lindau is a Bavarian town on the eastern side of the lake, sited on a small island which can be accessed by road and rail bridge. The 33 metre high lighthouse was built in 1856 by the Bavarian Railway Company.

It was initially lit by oil but then progressed to kerosene, gas, and then electricity. The statue of the lion represents the Bavarian Lion which features on the state coat of arms.

Answer: Hercules

The oldest lighthouse in the world is the Tower of Hercules, situated on the north-western coast of Spain. It is believed to date back to the late 1st century. It is the only Roman lighthouse still in use today, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. Legend says that the Roman hero Hercules killed the monster Geryon on top of the cliff.

This was his tenth out of the Twelve Labours tasked to him as penance following the slaying of his wife and sons.

Answer: Maiden's Tower

Kiz Kulesi lighthouse is otherwise known as Maiden's Tower or Leander's Tower. Built in approximately 1110, the lighthouse is situated on a small island at the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait. One of the legends attached to the tower mentions a Byzantine emperor who heard by prophecy that is daughter would die by a snake bite.

He made her live in the tower where she died anyway when a snake was smuggled inside a fruit basket.

Answer: Trinity House

Trinity House was granted a Royal Charter by Henry VIII in 1514. Since then, they have assisted the safe passage of sea faring vessels and mariners through some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Not only are they responsible for the upkeep of lighthouses, but also the inspection of navigational aids held at ports, harbours, off-shore platforms and wind farms.

The Needles lighthouse is located off the western side of the Isle of Wight, Beachy Head is below the white cliffs near Eastbourne in East Sussex, Eddystone sits on a rocky reef 11 miles from Plymouth Sound, and Long Ships lighthouse sits remotely off the coast of Land's End in Cornwall.

Answer: Constant shifting sands obliterated the light

The 1899 built Rubjerg Knude lighthouse is located on the edge of the North Sea in northern Denmark. The land where the lighthouse was built was initially 60 metres above sea level, but coastal erosion and shifting sands have had a major impact on the building.

The sands have been known to drift as high as the light itself which is 23 metres high. The sea takes on average three metres of land each year. There was a Sand Drift Museum open to the public but this was closed in 2002 due to safety reasons.

It is estimated that the sea will reclaim the lighthouse some time during the 2030s.

Answer: Baltic Sea

The Republic of Estonia at the north of Europe is bordered by Latvia, Russia and the Baltic Sea. Kopu lighthouse is situated on the island of Hiiumaa which is part of the West Estonia archipelago. It is believed to be the oldest lighthouse of the modern world, dating back to 1531. Constructed out of approximately six thousand tons of limestone, the 36 metre high tower has a distinctive shape of a square prism with a buttress wall on each side facing north, south, east and west.

It originally became a seamark as sailors from the Hanseatic Merchants League were often getting lost in the Baltic Sea.

Answer: Fastnet

Carraig Aonair is more commonly known as Fastnet Rock. It is an isolated islet in the Atlantic Ocean, just four miles south of the southern tip of Ireland. People have affectionately called it "Ireland's Teardrop" as it was the last point of Ireland that emigrants saw as they sailed towards America during the great famine of the 19th century. Strong gales washed away the majority of the first lighthouse in 1881, and in 1897, construction on the second lighthouse began.

The light is automatically controlled from a link to the main control centre at the Dublin port of Dun Laoghaire. Fastnet is a classic yachting race that has taken place biannually since 1925.

The course starts at Cowes on the Isle of Wight, hugs the coast of south west England, passing Plymouth, The Lizard, and Land's End before crossing the Celtic Sea towards Fastnet Rock, and then back.

Answer: Bell Rock

Bell Rock, or Inchcape Rock, was the most feared location for old mariners in the olden days. It is said they preferred to run aground along the shoreline, rather than wreck their boat against the rock which was hidden twice every day during high tide.

The lighthouse was constructed in 1810 by Scottish engineer Robert Stevenson, who went on to build over ten other lighthouses around the rugged coast of Scotland. Due to the nature of its remoteness and construction, the lighthouse has (unofficially) been called one of the seven wonders of the industrial world.

Other structures of this nature include the Hoover Dam, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Panama Canal. The image shown is the 1819 painting of Bell Rock by artist J. M. W. Turner.

Answer: Cabo da Roca, Portugal

Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca) is the most westerly point of Portugal and the continent of Europe. It is within the Sintra-Cascais National Park which is a popular tourist destination due to its close proximity to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. The rugged coastline is often battered by strong Atlantic winds and the remoteness of the area has been likened to standing at the end of the world.

The lighthouse was built in 1772, and was one of six others built along the coastline at the same time.

Answer: Gibraltar

Europa Point is at the southern tip of Gibraltar and stands at the entrance where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea. On a clear day, you can look across the water and see the coast of Africa. The lighthouse was constructed between 1838 and 1841.

The local people from Gibraltar call it "La Farola" which roughly translates as "lamppost". The lighthouse has provided safe passage to thousands of mariners who have passed through the busy shipping point. However, severe gales did not stop the Liberian registered cargo ship Fedra from smashing into the rocks below the lighthouse in 2008.