Bourglinster castle is first mentioned in 1098 as belonging to St Symeon of Trier. At the time it had a residential keep, a chapel and a wall. During the second half of the 14th century, the chapel was extended and a tower was added on the northern side. The lower castle with a moat and two defensive towers was built in the 15th century. Both castles were partly destroyed during the 16th century wars (1542–1544) but were soon repaired and a Renaissance wing was added (1548).
Parts of the lower castle were again destroyed by the French in the 1680s. In the early 18th century, a Baroque façade was built at the far end of the courtyard. After the castle was acquired by the Luxembourg State in 1968, the buildings were fully restored and, in 1982, opened for exhibitions, concerts, meetings and receptions.
The castle' s three banqueting halls with facilities for up to 200 people offer venues for business meetings, gala dinners and cultural events. La Distillerie, a restaurant on the castle premises, is considered to be one of the best in Luxembourg.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.