Little Brewster
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A tiny rock of less than ten acres in area is located 13.5 kilometers from Boston. Here is the only lighthouse that is still controlled by a person – the rest were automated a long time ago. The manager here is Sally Slowman: perhaps her gender is the only reason why the Boston Light (as the lighthouse is called) is still working “live”. This is not an easy task, requiring physical and mental strength. You have to live in splendid isolation, and provisions and other things necessary for life are brought from the continent on motor boats. Of course, there is no TV or Internet here. But visiting the place is not a problem if you come to an agreement with the hydrographic service and the boat skipper.
Wilhelmstein
This island in the middle of Lake Steinhunder Meer was created by human hands in the 18th century. Duke William of Schaumberg wanted to acquire a powerful fortress to protect his possessions, so for five long years local residents carried earth, stones and sand to the construction site, in winter – on ice, in summer in boats.
A stone fort in the shape of a four-pointed star was built in the central part of the island. Service here was not easy: high dampness and cold gave rise to an epidemic of rheumatic diseases and colds, many of which were fatal. In 1767, a school for cadets – aspiring officers – was opened, and then, after the death of the founder, a state prison was created here.
The site has now been turned into a museum, although it is still owned by the Duke’s descendants.
