Ristna lighthouse helps ships on the Baltic Sea to navigate efficiently and guides them on the fairway passing Hiiu shoal.

Construction of prefabricated boiler-plate lighthouses cost considerably less than Gordon system cast iron lighthouses - they could be erected much quicker as they required less assembly work and iron was less expensive as building material. Therefore a 30-metre cylindrical tower made of boiler-plate was ordered from a French company and erected near a cape called Ristna where storms often sweep the coast.

The distinctive lighthouse was put into operation in 1874. At the time it was painted white; in its top part, which looked like a metal machicoulis, there was a service room and above it the lantern room with a dome for a roof. The dioptric Fresnel lens of the 3rd category was installed in the lantern room and the permanent red light was visible from a distance of 13 miles. To lift the necessary fuel up into the service room, a hoist with a winch was installed outside the tower between the counterforts. All necessary ancillary buildings were built on the premises as well: living quarters, a cellar, a sauna, a granary and a well (the first two still exist today).

Information about visiting Ristna lighthouse is available on the Visit Estonia website.