One of the more unusual places to stay in Dresden is on the boat hotel Poppelmann.
The boat took to the water in October 1963 and was used for day trips from Dresden, sailing, well chugging, up and down the River Elbe. The boat was first named the Karl Marx and was one of four boats, the others were: the Ernst Thalmann, Wilheim Pieck and Friedrich Engels.
After the fall of the Berlin wall and the reunification of Germany the Karl Marx was repurposed as a training and support centre for young unemployed people. It was later shut down and opened again in 2013 as a floating hotel, under the name ‘Schiffsherberge Pöpelmann’ (Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1736) was a well known German architect who helped to rebuild Dresden after a great fire). Following a slow start the boat hotel became a niche place for those wanting a different place to stay. It is a little more basic than most hotels in the city centre but the cabins are a good size and there is a communal common room. The boat is anchored and is quite stationary!
One attraction of the boat is that you are a little out of the city centre – though some may see that as a disadvantage. But being on the river means you can see the local wildlife. A grey heron will often perch on top of the boat and you may see a kingfisher too. At the right time of year you might see beavers and racoons.
Felix, who was running the check in when I visited explained that the boat is popular for German and international visitors alike. It is on the ‘bike und bett’ network and in summer they get cyclists following the river Elbe from where it meets the sea in Hamburg to its source in the north of the Czech republic – or, of course, go from the source to Hamburg instead.
Coventry Association for International Friendship 