In the winter of 1878, German Baron Otto Friedrich von Lilienfeld started the construction of two parallel piers, the North and the South, at his own expense. The original harbour gates were made of rows of piles and stones piled on juniper branches. Women were also employed in the stacking of stones. In 1929 the piers were extended with concrete blocks. The length of the canal is 950 m. However, the narrow entrance (52 m) and the parallel piers make it difficult for larger vessels to pass. During the Soviet era, when the piers were under the surveillance of border guards, walking on them was forbidden. Ten years ago, there were no such prohibitions, but the rock pile had become dangerous to walk on due to storms and ice. In 2010, the piers were reconstructed and are now safe to walk on again. The North Pier is now 287m long, the South Pier 297.5m.

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