ENI 05802450, Historic paddle steamer in Dresden, Germany
The ENI 05802450 is a historic paddle steamer located in Dresden, stretching about 52.72 meters in length and operating today as a tour vessel on rivers in eastern Germany. The ship retains its original steam engine systems and the distinctive paddle wheel that propels it through the water.
Built in 1883 at the Blasewitz shipyard as hull number 18, the ship entered service on 15 May 1884 under the name Pillnitz, after the village and castle upstream of Dresden. It sailed for the Sächsisch-Böhmische Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft until 1923, then for its successor company. In 1927 it exchanged names with another steamer and became Diesbar, after the Elbe wine village downstream; the reason for the swap is unknown.
The ship's name comes from Diesbar, an Elbe wine village downstream of Dresden; it took the name in 1927 in a swap with another steamer called Pillnitz. Its white hull gave the fleet the nickname Weiße Flotte from 1926. Since 1985 the whole vessel has been protected as a Technisches Denkmal, and its steam engine was listed in 1983.
The Diesbar runs special cruises rather than scheduled line service, including harbour tours to Alberthafen and trips to Pillnitz under the motto "Technik für Kids". Boarding is at the Terrassenufer in Dresden, where the ship lay for inspection during the company's 150th anniversary in 1986. The engine is a low-pressure twin-cylinder oscillating steam engine of 110 hp built by John Penn and Sons in Greenwich.
The 110 hp two-cylinder oscillating low-pressure steam engine was built by John Penn and Sons of Greenwich for the paddle steamer Pillnitz launched in 1857, then reinstalled in this ship. Its central shaft section bears the inscription "Krupp bei Essen, Gustahl, garantie 10 Jahre, 1853"; the origin of this spare part is unknown.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,722 contributors worldwide.