Industrial Heritage Routes and Accessibility: Assessing the Imperial Shipyard Route in Gdańsk

An industrial heritage route integrates the conservation of industrial sites with the concept of cultural routes, framing industrialisation as a shared historical and cultural process through the combined interpretation of tangible elements, such as factories, machinery, and infrastructure, and intangible dimensions including workers’ experiences, skills, and local traditions that have shaped regional identities over time [4, 7, 8].

As a prominent initiative within the field of industrial heritage routes, the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) moves beyond the notion of a linear, physically continuous route and instead operates as a transnational network linking industrial heritage sites through shared themes and narratives [9]. The network is structured around thematic routes developed across Europe, which aim to support learning, interpretation, and tourism related to industrial history. Inclusion within ERIH is based on a set of criteria, requiring sites to demonstrate historical and symbolic significance within the context of European industrial development, alongside tourism potential and accessibility through multiple modes of transport [9, 10]. Earlier experiences such as the German Route Industriekultur, established in 1999, demonstrated how dispersed industrial sites could be organised into a coherent heritage route, later informing the development of ERIH and offering a transferable model [11].

Industrial heritage routes function as organisational and spatial mechanisms that connect former industrial sites into a coherent heritage system, enabling them to be experienced beyond their individual boundaries. By aligning infrastructure, mobility networks, and visitor services, these routes facilitate access to post-industrial areas while structuring visitor movement across extensive and historically complex industrial landscapes [12]. In doing so, industrial heritage routes support the transformation of large-scale post-industrial environments into legible and accessible heritage settings.

4.1 Historical and spatial background of the Imperial Shipyard

The origins of the Imperial Shipyard in Gdańsk date back to the mid-nineteenth century, when the modern shipbuilding industry began to develop in this location [14]. Initially established as the Royal Shipyard and later renamed the Imperial Shipyard following the Franco–Prussian War, the site expanded rapidly in response to industrialisation and technological advances in ship production [14]. Over time, the shipyard evolved into a large and complex industrial area composed of ship halls, workshops, cranes, transport infrastructure, and extensive open yards, organised according to the functional and logistical requirements of industrial production [14, 15]. These elements formed an interconnected spatial system rather than a collection of isolated buildings, shaping both the physical structure of the city and its industrial identity [15].

From the late twentieth century onwards, the Imperial Shipyard entered a period of gradual decline. Large-scale shipbuilding activities were reduced and ultimately ceased, culminating in the bankruptcy of the shipyard in 1997 [14]. This marked a major turning point, as industrial functions were abandoned and ownership structures became increasingly fragmented. Following the collapse of production, extensive parts of the former shipyard were sold to private investors, while others remained vacant or underutilised [16]. The loss of industrial activity was accompanied by a weakening of spatial coherence and public accessibility, as previously integrated production spaces became disconnected and partially closed off from the surrounding urban fabric [16].

Today, the Imperial Shipyard can be characterised as a post-industrial heritage area under transformation. The site retains a high concentration of historically and symbolically significant industrial structures, including places associated with the Solidarity movement, while simultaneously accommodating new development initiatives, temporary uses, and cultural interventions [14, 16]. This coexistence of preserved industrial fabric, vacant land, and new construction has resulted in a spatially heterogeneous and fragmented environment [14]. Despite its central location between the historic city centre and emerging waterfront districts, physical and perceptual barriers, such as restricted access areas and discontinuous pedestrian networks, continue to limit everyday access and spatial continuity [16]. Consequently, the former shipyard represents a layered industrial landscape whose scale and complexity underpin its heritage value while also posing significant challenges for its integration into contemporary urban life [15, 17].

4.2 Structure and characteristics of the Imperial Shipyard Route

The Imperial Shipyard Route was introduced in 2018 as a walking route across the former Imperial Shipyard in Gdańsk, to make the industrial heritage of the site accessible to the public [18]. The route provides a structured path through the shipyard, allowing visitors to move between historically significant buildings and understand how the site functioned as an industrial production environment (Figure 2).

The route consists of thirteen main stops, each corresponding to key structures associated with shipbuilding activities, including workshops, production facilities, administrative buildings, and waterfront infrastructure [19]. The selection and arrangement of these stops reflect the original spatial organisation of the shipyard, where different stages of ship production were distributed across the site in relation to the dock basins and waterfront. The route is designed as a pedestrian walking route and is supported by interpretive panels installed at each stop, which provide historical and functional information about the individual structures [18]. These panels explain the role of each building within the shipyard’s operational system and help visitors understand the industrial processes that took place there. During field observations, the route could be followed continuously on foot, allowing direct engagement with the preserved industrial environment.

The shipyard area in which the route is located has been owned and managed by Stocznia Cesarska Development since 2017, as part of an ongoing revitalisation process that combines heritage preservation with new urban uses [20]. Within this context, the route serves as a tool for presenting the industrial history of the site while supporting its gradual reintegration into the contemporary urban structure. In addition to the physical route, an interactive virtual map provides further access to spatial and historical information, allowing users to locate individual stops and understand their distribution within the shipyard area [21]. Together, these elements establish the Imperial Shipyard Route as a structured system through which the industrial heritage of the site can be accessed, understood, and experienced.

The data presented in Table 1 are derived from official interpretive panels along the Imperial Shipyard Route and supplemented by field observations conducted in 2023. Based on this material, each site was analysed in terms of its cultural significance, accessibility characteristics, and spatial role within the route. This analytical classification supports the evaluation of the route as a spatial and interpretive framework influencing accessibility to industrial heritage.

Table 1. Components of the Imperial Shipyard Route and their cultural significance and accessibility characteristics

4.3 Evaluating the Imperial Shipyard Route as a cultural route

The idea of cultural routes emerged in the 1960s with the notion of rediscovering cultural heritage through travel and was further developed through European initiatives in the following decades. The concept gained greater recognition after the adoption of “cultural landscapes” as a heritage category by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee in 1992, and the recognition of heritage routes as a category eligible for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. These developments expanded heritage approaches beyond monument-based perspectives by incorporating dynamic systems, cultural exchanges, and intangible elements that give meaning to heritage places [22, 23].

Cultural routes, therefore have the potential to reflect the identity of accumulated cultural heritage while enabling routes to be explored not only physically but through their wider cultural, social, and historical components. In this sense, the various values of a region should be addressed through an integrated approach, where they function as complementary and mutually reinforcing elements [8]. The defining characteristics of cultural routes are described in the ICOMOS Charter on Cultural Routes as including the natural and cultural context, tangible and intangible elements supporting the route, cross-cultural significance, dynamic character, and environmental context [7]. Cultural routes are also increasingly associated with cultural tourism, which has evolved from simply visiting historic sites to more experience-based forms of engagement [24].

In the context of industrial heritage, one of the most prominent route systems is the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH). Established in 1999 and later developed as a European initiative, ERIH connects industrial heritage sites across Europe through thematic routes in order to support their conservation and increase public awareness [9]. Through this network, industrial sites are interpreted not as isolated monuments but as interconnected elements of a broader industrial landscape and historical process.

Table 2. Evaluation of the Imperial Shipyard Route according to ICOMOS Cultural Routes Charter and ERIH framework

Within this framework, the Imperial Shipyard Route can be examined as a cultural route that integrates industrial structures, historical narratives, and social meanings within a unified spatial system. The following table evaluates the route according to the principles of the ICOMOS Cultural Routes Charter and the ERIH framework. The route is evaluated according to the principles of the ICOMOS Cultural Routes Charter and the ERIH framework, as presented in Table 2.

4.4 Evaluating the Imperial Shipyard Route as a tool for accessibility

In heritage studies, access to cultural heritage is increasingly associated with the broader right to participate in cultural life [25]. Access therefore extends beyond physical entry and includes opportunities to learn, experience and engage with heritage places [26]. From a spatial perspective, accessibility can be understood as the opportunity for individuals or groups to participate in activities at a specific location [27]. In the case of industrial heritage, this dimension becomes especially significant, as former industrial sites often undergo complex transformation processes when adapting to new cultural and social uses [26]. Within this framework, successful heritage revitalisation projects are generally expected to be visitor-friendly and physically accessible while responding to the needs of both tourists and local communities [28]. Revitalised industrial heritage sites may also reinforce local identity by preserving and presenting the material traces of industrial history, thereby contributing to a renewed sense of belonging [28]. In this study, accessibility is examined through four complementary dimensions: physical accessibility, spatial legibility, interpretive accessibility, and everyday accessibility, as outlined in the methodology section.

Industrial heritage routes can be understood not only as interpretive tools, but also as spatial mechanisms that help reorganise fragmented industrial landscapes into more accessible and legible heritage environments [9, 12]. Rather than presenting industrial structures as isolated monuments, cultural routes connect individual heritage elements within a wider spatial network, allowing them to gain additional meaning through their relationships with one another [29]. In urban contexts, such routes may also link dispersed heritage sites and create structured corridors that assist visitors in navigating and understanding spatial relationships between cultural assets [30]. These characteristics are particularly relevant to the Imperial Shipyard route, where the former production landscape has been reorganised into a sequence of publicly accessible heritage spaces.

At the Imperial Shipyard, the route opens areas that were once restricted and enables movement across the former production zone. The walking sequence and on-site panels provide orientation and guide visitors through the shipyard’s spatial structure, making the organisation of the industrial landscape more readable. Pedestrian mobility plays a crucial role in shaping visitors’ spatial perception, comfort and access to supporting services [31]. At the same time, continuity is not always consistent. Ongoing redevelopment and construction occasionally interrupt the route or blur transitions between stops. These observations are also reflected in the ordinal accessibility scores presented in Table 1, which illustrate the varying levels of accessibility among the different sites along the route.

The organisation of the route strengthens spatial legibility: production halls, dock basins and cranes remain visible within their original waterfront setting, allowing visitors to grasp the industrial logic of the site. However, accessibility should not be understood solely in terms of distance. The quality of the surrounding environment and the spatial conditions through which visitors move also influence walkability and overall experience [31]. In certain sections, new architectural interventions and the scale of the area may weaken historical coherence and affect the clarity of interpretation.

Interpretive content connects the material remains of shipbuilding with labour history and the Solidarity movement, supporting cognitive access to the site’s social and political dimensions. Access to cultural heritage has also been described as the ability to know, understand, visit and benefit from heritage resources without physical or social barriers [25]. Nevertheless, the reliance on predominantly text-based panels limits the depth of engagement when compared with more interactive or immersive interpretive approaches. The route increases public access to the former shipyard and contributes to enabling individuals to engage with and benefit from cultural heritage as part of their participation in cultural life [25]. At the same time, its accessibility remains shaped by redevelopment dynamics and by the ongoing balance between preservation and contemporary use. In this respect, the Imperial Shipyard route demonstrates both the potential and the limitations of industrial heritage routes as spatial tools for enhancing accessibility within complex post-industrial landscapes.