Stade

About This Anchorage

Stade is one of the most rewarding diversions on the lower Elbe — a beautifully preserved Hanseatic city that was one of the most important ports in northern Germany from the 11th to 18th centuries. The old harbour (Alter Hafen) is surrounded by half-timbered merchant houses (17th–18th century) in an almost perfectly intact medieval streetscape. The Swedish bombardment of 1676 and subsequent Swedish rule (1648–1712) gave the city its distinctive Scandinavian-influenced character. The Schwedenspeicher (Swedish warehouse, 1692) is now one of Germany's finest museums of pre-history and the Viking Age. Access is via the narrow Schwinge river — a tidal creek requiring HW timing but rewarded with a magical arrival in the medieval harbour.

Hazards

• !Schwinge approach creek dries partially at LW — entry/exit only 2h either side of HW
• !Draught limit 1.8m in the Schwinge and inner harbour
• !Strong Elbe tidal currents at the Schwinge mouth — approach from downstream (west) on the flood for easier entry

Skipper's Tips

• →Arrive 1h before HW — enter the Schwinge at slack water, lock through, and be settled in the harbour before the ebb begins on the Elbe
• →The Alter Hafen (Old Harbour) is one of the finest medieval harbour settings in Germany — dine at a restaurant overlooking the water and the Swedish warehouse
• →The Schwedenspeicher Museum (Swedish Warehouse, 1692) has remarkable collections on the Nordic Bronze Age and Iron Age — 2h well spent

Nearby Anchorages