riktmärke

Riktmärke is a Swedish term meaning a reference mark or landmark. In navigation and orientation, a riktmärke refers to any clearly identifiable feature that helps a person determine position, establish a bearing, or guide a route. It can be natural or man-made and is used in outdoor activities, maritime navigation, aviation, and urban wayfinding.

Natural examples include a distant peak, a distinctive rock formation, a lone tree on a hillside, or a coastline feature. Man-made examples include a church tower, a lighthouse, a radio or water tower, a bridge, or a silo. In maritime and aerial contexts, prominent features serve as visual cues and may be noted on charts to aid position recognition.

In practice, navigators and travelers use multiple riktmärken to maintain a chosen direction and to estimate where they are along a route. In orienteering, competitors routinely identify riktmärken along the course to stay on the correct bearing. In hiking and cross-country travel, landmarks complement map and compass readings and help reduce uncertainty when other navigation aids are limited.

Riktmärke is a broad, non-official concept distinct from formal signs or signals. It emphasizes the role of recognizable features in orienting oneself within a landscape, rather than conveying official directions. The usefulness of a riktmärke depends on visibility, permanence, and distinctiveness, and may vary with weather, lighting, and seasonal changes.

See also: landmarks, orientation, navigation, orienteering.