Baken

Baken is a Dutch term meaning beacon or landmark. It refers to fixed navigational aids used to guide vessels, delineate channels, or warn of hazards, as well as conspicuous land-based markers that help travelers locate a position. The word is widely used in Dutch-speaking regions and in maritime contexts.

In maritime use, bakens include unlit daymarks, lighted beacons with a top light, and range beacons that must be lined up to indicate a safe passage. They are installed along coastlines, at channel entrances, or along dredged routes. The appearance of bakens—color, shape, and light characteristics—follows international standardization to ensure recognizability by mariners. In addition to fixed structures, the term can encompass virtual or electronic range markers that serve similar navigational purposes.

Historically, bakens have played a central role in navigation since medieval times, evolving from simple signal markers to part of a standardized system of fixed aids to navigation. Today they operate alongside lighthouses, buoys, and electronic navigation aids such as radar and GPS, forming a layered network that supports safe maritime movement. While the concept is universal in navigation, the word bakken is primarily used in Dutch contexts; English-language texts typically translate it as beacons or navigational marks.

Beyond maritime use, bakens can also denote land-based markers that guide travelers, mark borders, or designate points of interest in rural and urban environments.

See also: lighthouse, beacon, navigational aid.