Utö is a small island in the Finland Archipelago Sea. It is the southernmost year-round inhabited island in Finland. The written history of island dates back to the 16th century. Since the 17th century, it has been a base for pilots, lighthouse keepers, custom officials and soldiers.
The first lighthouse in Finland was built on Utö in 1753. The round lighthouse building was blown up during the Swedish-Russian war of 1808-1809. The present lighthouse was built in 1814 under the supervision of Chief Pilot Gustav Brodd. The lantern and the lights have been modernized several times. The present lens was installed in 1906.
Today Utö is popular place for a day trip. You can visit on lighthouse, a small museum and village with old wooden cottages.
The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.