The City of Rijeka expects the historic ship back at the breakwater on 17 October. Its shipyard stay is over, but safety clearance and the exhibition are still needed before museum visits can begin.

01

What comes after the shipyard

Galeb is due to return to its permanent berth at Riječki lukobran on Saturday, 17 October, between 12:00 and 13:00. The city announced this on Friday following completion of work at Viktor Lenac. The announcement confirms that repairs are complete, not that the ship has already arrived.

Final safety checks and the required certificate from the Croatian Register of Shipping will follow. The museum exhibition is being installed in parallel. The city aims to open by the end of 2026; there is no date for visits yet. Access is currently prohibited for safety reasons.

Painted symbolic scene featuring a historic ship's compass and conservation work
Golden Beach / OpenAI ImageGen · AI-generated symbolic illustration, not a documentary photograph; no original object or actual museum installation depicted
02

Repairs and statutory inspection are separate cost items

The ship was damaged in a collision with Deniz Akay on 13 February and was towed to the shipyard on 25 September. Its mandatory five-year hull inspection was also due.

In September, the city cited quotations of 386,866.25 euros including VAT for the collision repairs and 470,633.75 euros for the inspection and other work. According to the city, the insurance of the party responsible for the accident is expected to cover the repairs. This is neither proof of payment nor a final invoice. The shipyard has now stated that the final value of the work is below the quotation; the city did not publish a final amount.

03

More than Tito's travel ship

Galeb's history begins in Genoa in 1938 as the fruit freighter Ramb III. Italian wartime service followed, then conversion into the German minelayer Kiebitz. The ship sank in Rijeka in 1944 and was raised in 1947. It later served as a Yugoslav training ship and for Tito's state visits, including the voyage to London in 1953.

The city museum thus describes a biography extending well beyond ceremonial salons. The ship has been protected as a cultural monument since 2006. Its planned museum use could make these changing roles accessible — completed repairs alone do not yet tell their story.

04

Do not make firm plans for a visit yet

Anyone travelling to Rijeka now should not turn the return announcement into plans for a museum visit. Only an explicitly published opening with visiting times and access conditions will provide a reliable basis. Until then, Galeb remains a future cultural destination, not an activity already available to book.

Evidence

Sources & date

Sources support the facts. Planning notes and recommendations are Golden Beach editorial assessments.

  1. Work on Galeb complete – ship returning to RijekaCity of Rijeka · 16 October 2026Completion of repairs, announced return, outstanding safety clearance and target opening
  2. Galeb towed to Viktor Lenac for repairs and inspectionCity of Rijeka · 25 September 2026Collision date, separate quotations including VAT and intended insurance coverage
  3. Galeb ship – public appeal by the City Museum of RijekaMuzej grada Rijeke · historical account; checked 17 October 2026Ship's history and protected status; old project information not treated as current
Time-sensitive information may change. Please check the linked primary source before travelling.