The submarine Sælen
The ships at Holmen
From the Norwegian fjords to the Iraq War. The Sælen has led a life that few submarines can match. Denmark’s last submarine is now waiting for you at Holmen.
The vessel was built in Germany in the mid-1960s, served in Norway for 25 years and first arrived in Denmark in 1990. Following a refit involving the installation of insulation and a refrigeration system, it sailed all the way to the Mediterranean, and in 2003 it took part in the Iraq War, carrying out intelligence operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
Step aboard Denmark’s last submarine
When Denmark made the political decision to decommission its submarine fleet, the Sælen was one of the last to be decommissioned. Today, you can step inside it yourself and experience what it was like to operate beneath the surface of the sea – in the cramped corridors where an entire crew lived and worked in close quarters.
Where is Sælen today?
The seal is owned by the National Museum of Denmark and is moored at Bradbænken on Holmen in Copenhagen as part of a unique collection of historic ships.