Lighthouse Breskens

In 1865 , Belgium demanded that the Scheldt be navigable both day and night because of the increasing traffic. This Belgian proposal included a lot: lightships, lighthouses, beacons and buoys.

This lighthouse mainly had to beacon the Wielingen . Together with another lighthouse, the so-called Lage Licht van Nieuwe Sluis , it formed a white guiding light. This Low Light is now monumental on the Spuiplein in Breskens.

It was the period in which cast iron made its advance. A cast-iron construction had its advantages : the construction time was considerably shorter. (1 year compared to 3 years for a stone lighthouse) and the costs were considerably less (1/3 of the price of a stone structure). It is estimated that 3000 kg of iron cement was used for the Breskens lighthouse.

No cast iron was used for the lantern dome and the support of the optics, but bronze or brass . These materials were more resistant to the changing influence of the cold and salty outdoor environment on the one hand and the heat of the lamps on the other.

The lighthouse can be visited and climbed at certain times.

Willem Vandenameele