site.btaShabla Lighthouse Opens to Visitors on International Lighthouse Day

For yet another year, the lighthouse in Shabla, guiding ships along the Black Sea coast since 1856, held an Open Day on August 18, marking International Lighthouse Day. In 2025, the lighthouse at Cape Shabla has already welcomed visitors three times, with August 18 being the last opportunity to visit it this calendar year.

More than 2,000 people have taken part in the Open Days to see Bulgaria’s oldest maritime navigation facility, retired lighthouse keeper Nanyo Nanev told BTA on Monday. Visitors, he added, are most impressed by the chance to physically touch the lighthouse itself.

According to Nanev, the lighthouse in Shabla is the tallest and second-oldest functioning lighthouse on the Black Sea coast. Its flashing beam is visible from up to 17 nautical miles away. Built in 1756, the structure stands 32 meters high. What makes it unique, he noted, is that it was constructed entirely of stone and mortar, yet has withstood the test of time.

Nanev, who retired earlier in 2025, still returns regularly to assist his colleagues. “I’ll gladly continue coming as a guide to share the lighthouse’s history, just as it was passed down to me by Bay Ivan, who looked after the lighthouse for over 40 years,” he said. Nanev himself worked at Shabla Lighthouse from January 1, 1992. Along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast there are seven lighthouses staffed with keepers, including Shabla, which employs five. Some lighthouses, he explained, are already automated and only require periodic maintenance.

Nanev also voiced support for expanding Open Days at Shabla. “When I was in France, I saw that their lighthouses are owned by the municipalities, maintained by them, and function as tourist attractions. They draw many visitors and generate great interest. Here, our lighthouses are located in military zones, which limits public access. Still, the four Open Days this summer alone attracted large numbers of tourists,” he said.