Lighthouse height: 25,2 m
Beacon height: 75 above sea level
Range: 12 nautical miles
Geographical location: 54^o 43' 12'' N, 17^o 14' 37'' E
Beacon characteristic: 3 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 8 s

Czołpino Lighthouse is situated between Łeba and Rowy, within the Słowiny National Park. It is about 1 km away from the coast, between Lakes Gardno and Łebsko, and is located on a high dune. The keeper’s residential quarters and outhouses are at the foot of the dune, on the landward side. Unfortunately, for the time being they are unoccupied, and the lighthouse keeper lives in a village 10 km away from the lighthouse.

In 1872 a decision was made to build a lighthouse here according to a design drafted by E. Kummer. The choice of a position ruled out the feasibility of supplying the building materials needed by road transport, and so a special landing stage was erected to load the supplies onto barges for the final part of the journey. Work of the construction of the lighthouse took three years, and it was not until 15th January 1875 that the beacon of Czołpino Lighthouse was lit for the first time, illuminating yet another stretch of the Baltic coastline. The optical system that was installed originally consisted of a Fresnel Class One device with an oil lamp comprising five concentric wicks as its light source. About 3,600 kg of mineral oil were used annually for the lamp, which had a continuous white beam. In the period between the World Wars the light source was changed; the oil lamp was replaced by an electrically-powered lamp. The beacon characteristic changed, too, from a continuous light into a flashing beam.

Czołpino Lighthouse is a construction in the shape of a truncated cone in red brick-work with an outer facing. At its base the tower has a diameter of 7 m, and its lantern height is 25.2 m. This lighthouse survived the Second World War intact. When wartime hostilities were over, it was in operation already by 7th December 1945 and has been working ever since.

Its optical equipment consists of a catoptric drum-shaped lens made in France in 1926, which in turn is made up of 43 polished prismatic rings and a 1 kW halogen light bulb mounted in a two-way changer. The lens measurements – 275 cm height, and 180 cm inner diameter – give an idea of just how big it is.
Until recently Czołpino Lighthouse was always out of bounds to the public, and accessible only to staff working there. Its site was part of a military zone fenced off by barbed wire. Even photographing it was an offence under the espionage laws. It was not until 1993-1994 that the Gdynia Division of the Maritime Authority (Urząd Morski) and the central maritime museum at Gdańsk (Centralne Muzeum Morskie w Gdańsku) restored this lighthouse. The project involved an overhaul and conservation, and the addition of an external sealing wall with a synthetic weather-proofing substance for hydrophobic protection.

The management of the Słowiny National Park gave its consent to the laying out of a tourist route and now you can visit Czołpino Lighthouse. You can walk up to it from the car park, which in turn may be reached by road from Smołdzino. From the car park you take the designated footpath. There is about 1 km to cover, most of it a trudge uphill. The lighthouse is situated on a picturesque dune towering over the surrounding countryside, in the cluster of dunes known as the Baranki. The lighthouse dune is the highest point in the area except for Łącka Góra. From the lighthouse there is a magnificent panorama – the Słowiny National Park, and the famous moving sand dunes scattered over the area between Lake Łebsko and the Baltic shore.

In 2000 the Słupsk Division of the Maritime Authority, responsible since 1999 for Czołpino Lighthouse, modernised its light source and installed an automatic monitoring system in the keeper’s house. Since that time the moment anything goes wrong at the lighthouse the keeper is informed of it, even when he’s off duty at home. This is very important, as Czołpino Lighthouse is at a considerable distance away from its nearest neighbours, and there is always the risk of vandalism by people who don’t care about the local tourist attractions. The cost of the modernisation project amounted to just 120,000 PLN.

About 7.3 km to the south-west of the lighthouse, and 6 km inland from the coast, at a height of 115 m. above sea level, there is Rowokół, the legendary sacred mountain of the ancient Słowińcy people. It is clearly visible from the gallery on the lighthouse. In bygone times this hill was an excellent landmark for navigation, helping ships to make a safe passage on the Baltic. It is recorded under the name of Reuekoll in the oldest surviving Flemish sailing directions describing the southern Baltic coastline, which date back to the 15th century. On a 15th-century Dutch navigating map it is marked as Reefkol. The Polish historical records mention Rowokół already in the 12th century, when a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas, patron of fishermen, sailors, and pirates, was built here. Today there is no longer even a trace of the once sumptuous chapel. In the late 18th century Ernest Boguslaus de Croy, Duke of Pomerania, intended to erect a lighthouse on this hill. He died before he accomplished his plan, but aware of the importance of this hill, he left a legacy of 200 thalers in his will for the building of a lighthouse. For unknown reasons his direction was never carried out.

At the top of the hill there is an openwork observation tower, used mostly by huntsmen, forestry officials, and the fire brigade. It is very likely that in pagan times there was a quadrangular obelisk up here dedicated to the god Swarożyc, and that at the foot of this idol bonfires were lit by night to help sailors navigate on the sea and nearby lakes, Gardno and Łebsko. Today the people coming to Rowokół are mostly historians and tourists, who visit the picturesque little village of Smołdzino and also stop at Czołpino Lighthouse, another local sightseeing attraction.