Our history: The Scandinavian Route
daily 11:00-17:00, not open Mon (except for March 30); M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark, Ny Kronborgvej 1, Helsingør; 110kr, free adm for kids; mfs.dk
The Esbjerg-Harwich ferry route, a staple of choice for so many Brits and Danes to cross the North Sea, closed last year after nearly 140 years of service.
It survived two world wars but in the end, it couldn’t see off budget airlines. In memory of its many journeys you can see models of the various ferries that have sailed this popular route, starting with a paddle steamer in 1875 named SS Riberhuus.
Since the 1960s it had been possible to take your car with you, easing travel on either side. Danish butter and bacon have been passengers on this route, completing English breakfasts for decades.
To commemorate, DFDS’s old advertising posters, menus and brochures are exhibited alongside nostalgia-inducing photos submitted by the route’s passengers. These are complemented by a film telling the story of the ‘England boat’ and professional photographs by Sofie Amalie Klougart of the final trip by MS Sirena Seaways in September.
Other exhibitions at the museum tackle the history of sailing, but in a slightly broader perspective. Learn what other ships were doing during the world wars by visiting In the Shadow of War, set in a ship that’s been hit by the enemy. Less fearful is The tea trade of the 1700s where you discover just how far goods had to travel to make a cup of tea with sugar.
