Dresden

The Dresden is a 157-meter cargo vessel now operating as a museum with access to multiple decks including crew areas and navigation spaces. The exhibition spans several levels and shows how such ships were equipped and operated for international trade routes.

Built in 1957 at the Warnow Shipyard, it sailed scheduled routes to ports in Asia, Indonesia, Africa, and Latin America until 1969. The vessel represents a significant chapter in the maritime history of postwar industrial development.

The vessel reflects how shipping shaped life in this region and the importance of port trade to the city's identity. Visitors experience how seafarers worked and how water-based commerce connected the community to distant places.

Access is via a gangway and several decks are open to visitors, though staircases are tight and sturdy shoes are advisable. Plan for about 2 to 3 hours to explore properly, especially if you want to read the information in the various compartments.

The vessel houses one of Europe's largest floating maritime museums with a collection exceeding 12,000 objects documenting seafaring from Hanseatic times to the present. This gathering of objects shows development steps that would otherwise require visiting many different locations.

Location: Rostock

Inception: January 1, 1957

Length: 157.6 m

Accessibility: Wheelchair limited access

Address: Schmarl-Dorf 21, 18106 Rostock

Website: https://schifffahrtsmuseum-rostock.de/ausstellungen/freilichtausstellung

GPS coordinates: 54.14185,12.08667

Latest update: December 9, 2025 13:10