Perched on a hill overlooking the plain of Revel, Château de Montgey is beautiful private castle built in the 12th, 13th and 17th centuries and the church and its newly restored tower.
If it is difficult to date the first castle, there is no doubt that it existed at the beginning of the 13th century. During the crusade of the Albigenses, in spring 1211, the Crusaders suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Montgey. In retaliation, Simon de Montfort, destroyed village and castel. It is rebuilt quickly after by his lord, Jourdain de Roquefort, a close to the count of Toulouse Raymond VII.
The castle changes owner several times, according to sales, marriages or legacies, passing the wars of religion without damage. Adjoining buildings are built on vaulted cellar in the 18th century outside the ramparts and a small crenellated dungeon overlooking the roofs in the 19th 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.