---
title: "Papenburg – Shipbuilding for globetrotters"
url: "https://www.niedersachsen-tourism.com/destinations/tour-the-towns/papenburg"
description: "Welcome aboard your voyage to Papenburg! This could very well be the beginning of your adventure, because Papenburg is renowned as the home of cruise ship giants. These ocean liners are constructed right here in one of the world’s largest covered dry docks."
language: "en"
breadcrumb: "Root > Home > Destinations > Tour the Towns > Papenburg"
---

Papenburg
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Shipbuilding for globetrotters

 

Welcome aboard your voyage to Papenburg! This could very well be the beginning of your adventure, because Papenburg is renowned as the home of cruise ship giants. These ocean liners are constructed right here in one of the world’s largest covered dry docks. Papenburg is, therefore, the ultimate destination for cruise enthusiasts eager to get a behind-the-scenes look. As the northernmost town in the Emsland region, Germany’s southernmost seaport, and the longest fen colony in the country, Papenburg is a town of superlatives. With its windmills, docked ships and an array of drawbridges and swing bridges, the townscape hints at its proximity to the Netherlands. And fittingly for a hub of ocean giants, Papenburg is best admired from the water.

 

Sights
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A replica lighthouse, a seaport and countless maritime delights – in Papenburg, everything revolves around the ships and the water. At the MEYER WERFT Visitor Centre, part of the renowned shipyard, you can marvel at the cruise ships of tomorrow. Beyond the building of future cruise ships, the themed maritime museum, Maritime Erlebniswelt, takes you on a journey through the history of shipbuilding in Papenburg. The town also preserves many traces of its early peatland settlement. At the Von-Velen Complex, you can step back in time and experience the daily lives of the first settlers in the peatlands.

Ausstellungszentrum Gut Altenkamp

Art in a special atmosphere

Von-Velen-Anlage

Out and about in the open-air museum

 

Take a look around

Virtual tour of the Meyer Werft visitor centre
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**Top highlights** 
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On one Saturday each month, the Maritime Meile (Maritime Mile) along Papenburg’s main canal comes alive with food, drink and colourful entertainment. Each month from May to September features a unique theme, making it an ideal outing that can easily be combined with a shopping spree. During the festive season, Papenburg is transformed into a cosy winter wonderland. The Christmas market, filled with the scent of seasonal treats, offers a warm and inviting way to celebrate the year’s end.

- A look behind the scenes
    
    Ausstellung Meyer-Werft
    
    
    
    Visitor centre Meyerwerft
- On the site of a former coal mine
    
    MIK am Piesberg in Osnabrück
    
    
    
    MIK Museum Industriekultur Osnabrück
- Discover the city's history
    
    Maritime Erlebniswelt
    
    
    
    Maritime Erlebniswelt

 

That´s how beautiful Papenburg is
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St. Antonius Kirche in Papenburg

Radfahren in Papenburg

 Sternwarte Papenburg 

Außenansicht Besucherzentrum Meyer-Werft

 

Papenburg Marketing GmbH
Hauptkanal li. 36
26871 Papenburg
Telefon: +49 4961 83960

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