Greatest Hungarian boat ever to be rebuilt and opened for guests near Chain Bridge

József Kreinbacher, a Hungarian businessman, is bringing an iconic piece of Hungarian history back. Charles IV was the largest paddle steamer ever built in Hungary. The boat was taken out of service after several decades of service in the late seventies.

The iconic Charles IV boat

The iconic Charles IV paddle steamer was built by Ganz and Partner Danubius Electric Machinery, Wagon and Shipyard Co. Ltd. between 1916 and 1917. The boat was 77.4 metres long and 15.29 metres wide. Its interior was luxuriously ornate following its contemporary design trends. It was originally named after the then-reigning Hungarian King Charles IV.

However, the boat went through many name changes. In 1919, it was renamed ‘Sas’ (eagle in Hungarian). After that, it was renamed ‘Szent Imre’ in 1930 to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the death of Saint Emeric of Hungary. After the Second World War, it was renamed yet again. It received a quite symbolic name ‘Felszabadulás’ (meaning liberation). In 1978, it was renamed to Szőke Tisza II, however at that time, it no longer operated as a cruise ship.

Here is a photo of the boat from 1959:

Paddle steamer boat as an interactive attraction

As 24.hu reported, Hungarian businessman József Kreinbacher envisioned the steamer as an interactive attraction open to the public. In addition, it will also be used as an event venue on the Danube. Antal Rogán has previously stated that the steamer Charles IV would also function as a hotel, but Kreinbacher partially denied this. According to the project’s developer, the 80-metre-long museum and event boat will be built to showcase in Budapest, at the Pest side of the iconic Chain Bridge.