SS Sołdek
Ship museum on Ołowianka in Gdańsk: the first ocean-going ship built in Poland after the war and the only surviving steam-powered ore-and-coal carrier.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
“Sołdek” was the first ocean-going ship built by the Polish shipbuilding industry after the Second World War. The preliminary design was prepared by a team of Polish engineers under Henryk Giełdzik, and the working documentation was produced by the French shipyard Augustin Normand in Le Havre. The keel of the prototype B-30-type ore-and-coal carrier was laid on 3 April 1948 at the Gdańsk Shipyard, and the ship was launched on 6 November 1948. It was named after Stanisław Sołdek, an outstanding shipyard worker.
The first voyage to Szczecin took place in October 1949, where the flag was raised with ceremony on 25 October. Until 2 January 1981 “Sołdek” made 1,479 sea voyages, carried more than 3.5 million tonnes of coal and iron ore and called at more than 60 ports.
Today the ship is a branch of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk. It is a unique monument of ship technology: the only steam-powered ore-and-coal carrier preserved in the world, with a welded-and-riveted hull, a type rarely seen today. Visitors learn about it in the exhibition “Sołdek and Its Times”; at the same time, no more than 60 people may be on board.
Highlights
- The only steam-powered ore-and-coal carrier preserved in the world
- The first ocean-going ship built in Poland after the Second World War
- Welded-and-riveted hull and shelter deck
- Permanent exhibition “Sołdek and Its Times”
- Audio guide in the Movi Guide app (Polish and English)
Permanent exhibition
- Sołdek i jego czasy – Permanent exhibition on the history of the “Sołdek” ship museum and the period in which it was built and sailed.
- Operated by
- Narodowe Muzeum Morskie w Gdańsku
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 23 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 17 złpupils, students and doctoral students, pensioners, people receiving disability pensions, people over 65, people with disabilities together with their carers, and teachers (for the detailed list see the concession regulations of the National Maritime Museum) |
| Groups | –The group leader or guide (1 person per 10 participants) pays PLN 1. Guided tours: groups of up to 30 people PLN 60 in Polish, PLN 80 in English. |
| Families | 16 złPrice for the holder of a Large Family Card (Karta Dużej Rodziny): standard ticket PLN 16, reduced PLN 12. |
| Combined ticket: National Maritime Museum (permanent and temporary exhibitions) + “Sołdek” | 39 złReduced ticket PLN 29. |
| “Ships” combined ticket: “Sołdek” and “Dar Pomorza” (Gdynia) | 40 złReduced ticket PLN 25. |
| Combined ticket: National Maritime Museum + “Sołdek” + Żuraw + Maritime Culture Centre (without the interactive room) | 64 złReduced ticket PLN 48; with the interactive room PLN 82, reduced PLN 60. |
Prices are valid until 31 December 2026. Tickets for “Sołdek” are sold at the ticket offices of the National Maritime Museum and the Maritime Culture Centre.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
For people with limited mobility, a free virtual 3D walk around the ship is available; the station is located in the main hall of the National Maritime Museum.
Kids & families
| Family ticket | 16 zł · Price for the holder of a Large Family Card (Karta Dużej Rodziny): standard ticket PLN 16, reduced PLN 12. |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Kids’ birthday parties
The Education Department of the National Maritime Museum runs museum lessons, weekend workshops and birthday parties at the museum.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Akademia Muzyczna · 12-min walk · 1 km
Buses and trams go to the Akademia Muzyczna stop; from there the SKM suburban railway can take you to Gdańsk Główny, and from the station you can walk across the footbridge to Ołowianka.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
The museum has no free car parking spaces for passenger cars or coaches; only paid spaces are nearby. At the entrance to the National Maritime Museum there are 10 bicycle spaces.
On foot from Gdańsk Główny station, about 1,800 m (22 minutes). By car along ul. Długie Ogrody and ul. Szafarnia, then across the Most Kamieniarski bridge to ul. Ołowianka.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Lockers
Free lockers and a toilet are located in the National Maritime Museum building.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (PL, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Amateur photographs and videos (without flash and tripod) are allowed for personal use only; professional photography and filming require the consent of the museum director. |
| Good to know | No more than 60 people may be on the ship at the same time. The audio guide is available in the Movi Guide mobile app; the descriptions on display are in Polish and English. Bookings for guides and lessons: rezerwacje.nmm.pl; Education Department tel. +48 58 329 87 33. |
