The museum is located in Skiathos, in the Cultural Community Centre of “Bourtzi” and was founded in 2015.
The island of Skiathos was destined to play a crucial role in both our naval tradition and naval architecture due to its advantageous geographic position and its secure port. In 478 B.C, locals acceded in the first naval alliance with Athens and, sometime later, they acceded in the second. Over the next turbulent times, Macedonians, Romans, ancient Venetians and Ottoman Turks were constantly using the island as their base for their conquering plans.
After the Russian-Turkish wars, locals were given the right to build small ships on the island. Later on, captains were able not only to enlarge their ships, but also to extend their activity in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Furthermore, what heavily enhanced the development both of shipbuilding and seamanship in Skiathos, was the transfer of the main city from the isolated area of Kastro (Castle) next to the well-secured area of the port, as it still remains. Additionally, locals’ initiative to share the profits with the ship’s crew, as well as the crew’s tireless hard work, were the two main reasons behind the successful growing of ship navigation in Skiathos.
Wishing to keep the memory of this big shipping – shipbuilding tradition of the island alive, so as to impart it to the future generations, several retired seamen decided to found the Skiathos Maritime and Cultural Tradition Museum.
Visitors can see and become acquainted with the long maritime tradition of Skiathos through shipbuilding representations, instruments and tools, shipyards and ships and old pictures of shipbuilders, their activities and their creations.
Shipbuilding follows maritime activity with a rich collection of instruments, maps, tools and remarkable photographs from the life of Skiathos seamen and their ships.
The museum is located at the most beautiful and best-known spot of the island, Bourtzi, and in a room of a neoclassical building, the Skiathos Municipality Cultural Centre. It is open daily and awaits the thousands of visitors to the island to travel with their mind to the past and become familiar with the Skiathos Maritime History and Shipbuilding Art.
The Skiathos Maritime museum was opened in 2015 based on voluntary efforts by the local community, retired seamen and younger generation. It is under further expansion and continuous development. In particular, the exhibits are enriched with additional artefacts and records of maritime life, offered by the local community. Currently, the museum is expanding into twice the space within the same building. Audio-visual and digital applications are under way. The aim is to attract new forms of sustainable cultural tourism in spreading seasonality and promoting the lesser known aspects of Skiathos island as a tourist destination.
The Museum is very active in the network of Maritime Museums of Greece and aspires to join pan-European maritime heritage networks. It is becoming a focal point for visitor to Skiathos island, highlighting the rich maritime culture and traditions with strong involvement of the local community, towards sustainable cultural tourism. In particular, diversifying the tourism product of Skiathos over time (seasonality) and space and attracting youth and schools. Special events were held during 2018 EYCH to promote the museum in the frame of tangible and intangible cultural heritage concerning the maritime history and traditions of Skiathos.
