Barka Lemara

About the museum

The Barka Lemara is a steel cargo barge without its own engine, built in 1937 at the Stocznia i Warsztaty Mechaniczne Lloyda Bydgoskiego (Lloyd Bydgoski Shipyard and Mechanical Workshops). It belonged to the Bydgoszcz skipper Adolf Schmidt, and its name comes from the first syllables of the names of his parents, Leon and Maria. The barge sailed on the waters of Poland and Germany; during the Second World War it was seized by the Third Reich, and after 1945 by the Polish state, for which the Schmidt family continued to work.

It was withdrawn from active navigation in 2006 and was to be scrapped, but in 2009 the city bought it back for cultural purposes. Since 2014 it has been looked after by the Miejskie Centrum Kultury w Bydgoszczy (Municipal Culture Centre in Bydgoszcz). The barge is one of only two surviving towed barges still afloat in Poland, and its berth on the Brda quay, next to the granaries and the Old Town Bridge, is one of the most recognisable in the city.

The exhibition is housed in the adapted holds and in a reconstructed living cabin with a kitchen, bedroom and small lounge, of the kind in which the skipper’s family lived. Stories of skippers, raftsmen (flisacy) and retmen (retmani) are told by the guides and the barge’s captains. The site is part of the TeH2O Trail of Water, Industry and Crafts, and a venue for concerts, lessons and meetings.

Highlights

• Historic barge from 1937, one of two towed barges still afloat in Poland
• Three holds with an exhibition on the life of skippers and raftsmen
• Reconstructed living cabin of the skipper’s family
• Boat or pleasure-steamer cruise for small groups
• Wheelchair platform and Braille descriptions

Permanent exhibition

• Muzeum Legend Szyperskich – The exhibition in three holds and the living cabin tells of the life of skippers, raftsmen and retmen and of the former port in Bydgoszcz.

Founded

2014

Operated by

Miejskie Centrum Kultury w Bydgoszczy

Admission & discounts

The museum offers discretionary discounts for sailors and their families.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A gangway meeting the standards for wheelchair users leads on board, and the left hold can be reached by a platform lift at the entrance door. The deck itself is not accessible to wheelchairs. The stair handrail has a Braille overlay, and the toilet door has a Braille plate. Support for deaf visitors is available after prior arrangement with the SPLOT Section (tel. +48 52 32 55 545, splot@mck-bydgoszcz.pl).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The educational offer is prepared for all age groups, from kindergarten children to students. Pupils on school trips perform simple tasks connected with running the barge, and in summer they also take part in activities on the upper deck.

Getting there & parking

The barge is moored by the Brda quay at ul. Spichlerna, in the shadow of the Old Town Bridge and the granaries on the Brda.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 100 guests.

Intimate events can be organised on the barge: lectures, birthdays, exhibition openings, concerts, photo shoots and craft fairs. The holds hold 35–40 people, the deck about 100, and the square in front of the barge (ul. Spichlerna) up to 600 people. The price of each event is set individually.

Plan your visit