Scheepvaartmuseum Baasrode

Scheepvaartmuseum Baasrode is a maritime museum and former shipyard complex on the banks of the Scheldt river in Baasrode, part of the municipality of Dendermonde in East Flanders, Belgium. This unique industrial-archaeological heritage site tells the story of shipbuilding in Belgium and Flanders, spanning from before the 16th century until the closure of the village's last working shipyard in 1986.

Why was Baasrode important for river shipping?

Already in the 15th century, Baasrode was a busy trading hub along the Scheldt, with vessels arriving daily from Antwerp and local builders constructing new boats along the riverbank. At the start of the 19th century, the village counted as many as nine shipbuilding yards, known locally as "zaten," making shipbuilding its most important industry. The trade reached its peak during the 19th century, as yards shifted from wooden to iron hulls and from sail power to motorized engines.

Which shipyards operated on the museum grounds?

The museum's three-hectare site historically housed three separate shipyards. The oldest, the Van Damme yard, dates back to the 17th century and was purchased from the De Landtsheer family in 1827. The Van Praet yard was founded in 1721, and in 1892 it was renamed Van Praet-Dansaert following changes made by Henrica-Joanna Dansaert, widow of Petrus Johannes Van Praet. A third yard, "De Toekomst," owned by Edmond Van Praet, was used only as a depot and closed as early as 1950. In 1955, the Van Damme family sold their yard to neighboring shipbuilder Gabriël Van Praet, forming a larger combined operation that flourished into the late 1970s. The last new ship was launched there in 1972, and the site's final shipyard closed its doors for good in 1986.

What can visitors see on site today?

A tour of the site takes in former shipbuilding workshops, rare tidal dry docks, a preserved skipper's living quarters, and thousands of artifacts documenting centuries of shipbuilding along the Scheldt. Visitors can trace the parallel histories of the Van Damme and Van Praet yards and see the tools, records, and everyday objects left behind by generations of shipwrights. The outdoor grounds and permanent open-air exhibition are free to access.

When is the museum open?

The Baasrode shipyards site is open Wednesday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. On Mondays the site is open only to organized groups, while Tuesdays are reserved for group visits and, during school holidays, for regular visitors as well.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the museum located? At Sint-Ursmarusstraat 137 in Baasrode, a sub-municipality of Dendermonde in East Flanders, along the Scheldt river.

Is entry to the site free? The outdoor grounds and permanent open-air exhibition are free to visit; a ticket is required for the full tour including the indoor workshops.

What makes this site historically significant in a European context? Its rare surviving tidal dry docks and the largely intact layout of two historic river shipyards that operated continuously for centuries, right up until 1986.