A 120-year-old lighthouse which was moved on wheels away from the eroding coastline in Denmark has reopened.
The Rubjerg Knude lighthouse was transported 260ft away from the North Sea last month after it became threatened by the erosion.
And last night, the 76ft tall structure in Jutland on the island of Egtved reopened with a stunning blue light display.
Locals queued up to see the reopening after what was a monumental feat in moving the old building.
When the lighthouse was first lit in 1900 it was 660ft from the coast, now it was only about 20ft away before the move.
Local mayor Arne Boelt said at the time 'many things can go wrong' when moving the defunct lighthouse, weighing about 1,000 tonnes and sitting atop a cliff 60 meters (200 feet) above sea level.
'But it's worth the risk ... the alternative would to dismantle the lighthouse.'
Environment Minister Lea Wermelin has called the white, square lighthouse 'a national treasure' to explain why ministry spent £575,000 (five million kroner) to save it. Boelt and the town of Hjoerring also have chipped in to foot the bill.
The lighthouse ceased operating in 1968 and was briefly turned into a museum, including an exhibit about the structure's struggle against sand drift.
In the end, it was closed because of shifting sands which slowly buried the two buildings adjacent to the lighthouse. The lighthouse, however, still gets more than 250,000 visitors each year.
The move was broadcast live on major Danish news outlets. Thirty minutes into the operation, the lighthouse had been moved 1.4 meters.
The area is known for constantly shifting sands and an eroding coastline.
In 2008, a nearby church was dismantled to prevent it from falling into the sea. The Romanesque Maarup Church, built on a cliff around 1250, was picked for scenes in 'Babette's Feast,' which in 1987 became the first Danish film to win the Oscar for best foreign language film.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
