17th Century Wreck – See It With Your Feet Dry!

A scale model of what the Vasa Ship looked like. On display at the Vasa Museum.

Did you ever see a wreck that looked this great? I'm betting you never did, unless  you've been to the Vasa Museum in Sweden, because Vasa is the only 17^th century ship left in the world. I recently visited what is called the most popular museum in Scandinavia. In my opinion it is definitely the greatest maritime museum in the World!

Did you ever see a wreck that looked this great?

The war ship Vasa sunk on its maiden voyage in 1628. The weather at the time was calm. Probably the main reason for the ship sinking was poor stability. The ship was simply made too top-heavy. It was the biggest ship of its time. There has also been speculation about the effects of the ship being built slightly off-balance, with different measures having been used on either side of the ship. So it was higher than it should have been, and heavier on one side than the other. And it sunk on its maiden voyage, before it had even sailed a mile.

The most amazing item on display: a whole 17^th century war ship!

The ship was a spectacular show of military bravado, a huge 64-gun war ship showing off in bright colours, with brilliant sculptures decorating the entire ship, bigger than any other ship at that time. The ship certainly looked awe-inspiring, and would have been a frightening sight in battle, had she actually ever made it out of the Stockholm harbour.

Anders Franzen, a Swedish amateur naval archaeologist found Vasa in 1956 after spending two years searching for it. The ship was raised in 1961, after lying at the bottom of the sea for 333 years. Once the wreck of Vasa was brought up, the conservation work on it lasted for nearly twenty years. The Vasa Museum was established in 1990 and the Vasa ship was brought on display for the public.

The Vasa is the only 17^th century ship ever salvaged completely

The Vasa Museum is located in the very centre of Sweden's capital city, Stockholm. It can easily be reached from the centre by bus, by walking, or by local ferry. The museum is visited by 800 000 visitors annually. There are many fascinating exhibits at the museum, including one that describes life onboard a 17^th century war ship, and an analysis of some of the skeletons that were found in the wreck. The skeletons are actually on display at the museum, and careful research has been made to find out as much as possible about the individuals that died when the Vasa sunk more than three hundred years ago, and to tell their stories to the public.

The Vasa museum is well suited people of all ages. Children will enjoy the hands-on feel of the museum and the magical atmosphere around the ship that seems to be hanging weightless in mid-air. For adults, there is plenty of maritime history to see and learn, and inspiring exhibits that tell a detailed story of life in the 17^th century. If you ever saw the movie Pirates of the Caribbean and liked it, you'll love this museum! This is the only 17^th century ship left in existence. In the World. And you don't even have to get your feet wet to experience it.

See the resemblance with the Flying Dutchman??

Also check this out: An earlier article that I wrote, about the ship worm, that was inspired by my visit to Vasa Museum.

There is plenty of hands-on exhibits for children at the Vasa Museum