Koeru Church is one of the oldest medieval churches in Järvamaa with a beautiful Baroque tower. The church was built probably in the mid-13th century and expanded to the three-nave form aroud 1300.
The church was damaged badly in Livonian Wars and again in Great Northern War. It was mainly reconstructed in 1721. The present 43m high tower was built in the end of 18th century. The pulpit, altarpiece and crucifix in the church date from the 17th century.
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.