Weiße Flotte Schwerin

Weiße Flotte Schwerin is the passenger shipping operator on the lakes of Schwerin, the state capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in northern Germany. Its main pier, Anleger Schloss, sits directly beside the Schweriner Schloss on the Schweriner Innensee, making the company one of the most visible tourism brands in the city. The operation is run by Weisse Flotte Fahrgastschifffahrt Schwerin GmbH and offers scheduled lake cruises, themed evening trips, seasonal winter sailings, charter services and an online ticket shop. The company traces its origins to 14 August 1852, when Carl Christian Molchin inaugurated passenger shipping on the Schweriner See with the steamer Alban and established the first ferry links to the island of Kaninchenwerder and to Zippendorf. Over the following decades the fleet grew, survived competition and consolidation, and was nationalised in 1953 as VEB Weiße Flotte Schwerin in the German Democratic Republic. After reunification it was sold by the Treuhand to private investors in 1992. Today the core product is a pair of 1.5-hour sightseeing circuits: the 4-Seen-Linie, which runs daily through the season and passes the Werdervorstadt, the Schweriner See, the Stangengraben, the Heidensee and the Ziegelinnensee before returning with a view of the castle from the lake side; and the Große Insellinie, which heads toward Zippendorf and Kaninchenwerder. Seasonal and special sailings include the Erdinger Dämmertörn evening cruise, the Große Winterlinie in November and December, and themed trips such as the Eisbeinfahrt, Grünkohlfahrt, Martinsgans and Proseccosause. The ships carry onboard catering with hot and cold drinks and food, and can be chartered for family and company celebrations, weddings and group travel. The brand is closely tied to Schwerin's identity as a lake-and-castle destination, and its pier opposite the castle functions as a gateway for tourists exploring the city's waterways.

Passenger shipping on the Schweriner See began on 14 August 1852, when Carl Christian Molchin inaugurated the service with four cannon shots and the first trial run of the steamer Alban. He established the first ferry connections to the island of Kaninchenwerder and to Zippendorf. Despite poor landing facilities at the time, the connection was well received, which encouraged further activity. From 1868 there were lake round trips with onboard catering. In 1885 and 1894 the passenger ships Niclot and Obotrit, built at the Howaldtswerke in Kiel, were launched; each could carry up to 300 people and remained in the fleet into the 1930s. A paddle steamer named Großherzog Friedrich Franz, built in 1883 with a capacity of 280 people, operated on the Schwerin lakes from 1906 to 1911. Because its owner Joseph Bahlke set prices very low, the ship was popularly known as the Fiefpennigsdampfer (five-pfennig steamer). In 1910 the entrepreneur Carl Schröder bought up all the ships of his competitors, ending years of competition. In 1920 the paddle steamer Großherzog Friedrich Franz was sold to Denmark. In 1950 Carl Schröder junior feared expropriation and renamed the ship Schwerin as Sowjetfreundschaft. Nevertheless, in 1953 the operation passed into state ownership as VEB Weiße Flotte Schwerin. Until 1990 various ferry connections were served and round trips and dance cruises were operated. Around 1985 the company counted 400,000 passengers annually. In 1992 the Weiße Flotte was sold by the Treuhand to private investors. The Schlossbucht pier was completely redesigned in 1999/2000 and a restaurant was built. In 2005 the traditional ferry service from the Schlossbucht to Zippendorf and Kaninchenwerder was discontinued with the Mecklenburg and the offering was integrated into the new 3-Seen-Linie, which was operated by the Boizenburg through 2012. Since 2013 intermediate piers have been served exclusively by round trips. The fleet has changed considerably. The Vaasa (formerly Saalefee) has not been used in passenger service since 1990 and today serves as an office ship. The Möwe was transferred in 1999 to Fahrgast-Schifffahrt Neustadt-Glewe/Grabow and operated on southern Mecklenburg waters, still often seen on the Schweriner See; since the 2014 season start it has been based in Berlin (Bootsvermietung Fangrot). The Vidin was given up in 2001 and sails as Spree in the Berlin area (Reederei Kutzker), while the higher-capacity Lübz (formerly Köpenick) was acquired. The Mecklenburg (formerly Sowjetfreundschaft, Schwerin, Hindenburg) left Schwerin waters on 1 November 2011 after 86 years, heading for Heidelberg, where from August 2012 to the end of 2015 it was used as Liselotte von der Pfalz for ferry services on the Neckar; from 2005 it had only been sporadically deployed in Schwerin. In December 2015 the ship was sold to Switzerland and since 2016 has operated as MS Murten on the lake of the same name. On 8 October 2012, after exactly 9,300 days, the Hamburg (formerly Tallinn) left the Schweriner See to operate for Reederei Kutzker (Grünheide, near Berlin), where the former Vidin had already been in service as Spree since 2001, under the name Donau. For the 2013 season the Boizenburg was renamed Hamburg. From 1975 to 1979 the hydrofoil Tallinn, imported from the Soviet Union, also operated on Schwerin waters. Other ships had not been owned by Weiße Flotte Schwerin since the 1960s. In the present day the company operates two 1.5-hour lake cruise lines from the start of the season in March. The 4-Seen-Linie runs daily for the whole season from Anleger Schloss past the Werdervorstadt over the Schweriner See, through the Stangengraben into the Heidensee and the Ziegelinnensee (Hotel Speicher), and back with a view of the castle from the lake side. The Große Insel-Linie runs daily until the end of September from Anleger Schloss toward Zippendorf and the island of Kaninchenwerder into the Stangengraben, over the Heidensee and back via the Stangengraben into the Schweriner See, returning with a castle view from the lake side; it also operates in the opposite direction. The Erdinger Dämmertörn is a romantic evening tour into the Ziegelaussensee and Ziegelinnensee with a stop at Anleger Speicher, lasting 2.5 hours and offered on Saturdays (June to August) and Wednesdays (July and August). The ships can also be chartered.

• 2013

  The Boizenburg is renamed Hamburg for the season; intermediate piers are served exclusively by round trips.

• 2012

  The Hamburg leaves the Schweriner See on 8 October after exactly 9,300 days.

• 2011

  The Mecklenburg leaves Schwerin waters on 1 November after 86 years.

• 2005

  Traditional ferry service from Schlossbucht to Zippendorf and Kaninchenwerder is discontinued and integrated into the new 3-Seen-Linie.

• 1999

  The Schlossbucht pier is completely redesigned and a restaurant is built (1999/2000).

• 1992

  The Weiße Flotte is sold by the Treuhand to private investors.

• 1985

  Around 400,000 passengers are counted annually.

• 1953

  The operation becomes state-owned as VEB Weiße Flotte Schwerin.

• 1920

  The paddle steamer Großherzog Friedrich Franz is sold to Denmark.

• 1910

  Entrepreneur Carl Schröder buys up all competitor ships, ending years of competition.

• 1894

  The passenger ship Obotrit is launched.

• 1885

  The passenger ship Niclot, built at Howaldtswerke in Kiel, is launched.

• 1868

  Lake round trips with onboard catering begin.

• 1852

  Carl Christian Molchin inaugurates passenger shipping on the Schweriner See with the steamer Alban and establishes ferry links to Kaninchenwerder and Zippendorf.

Traditional passenger shipping and lake-tourism brand anchored at Schwerin Castle, offering scheduled sightseeing, themed and charter cruises.

• 4-Seen-Linie

  Daily 1.5-hour sightseeing cruise from Anleger Schloss through the Schweriner See, Stangengraben, Heidensee and Ziegelinnensee, returning with a castle view.

• Große Insellinie

  Daily 1.5-hour cruise until end of September toward Zippendorf and Kaninchenwerder, also operating in the opposite direction.

• Erdinger Dämmertörn

  Romantic 2.5-hour evening tour into the Ziegelaussensee and Ziegelinnensee with a stop at Anleger Speicher, on Saturdays (June–August) and Wednesdays (July–August).

• Große Winterlinie

  2-hour winter sailings from November to December, Wednesday to Sunday.

• Special sailings

  Themed trips including Eisbeinfahrt, Grünkohlfahrt, Martinsgans and Proseccosause.

• Charter

  Charter for family and company celebrations, weddings and group travel.

1. 1Schifffahrt auf dem Schweriner See | WEISSE FLOTTE Schwerinweisseflotteschwerin.de
2. 2Weiße Flotte Schwerin – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Weiße Flotte (Schwerin) – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org