The Neckar has been a connecting artery for people for thousands of years, more comfortable even than the risky crossing of impassable forests. The next two rooms, dedicated to fishermen, boatmen and raftsmen, bear witness to life on the river and with the river. The first settlers were already fishing and hunting in the forests. In Hassmersheim, upstream from the Neckar, a dugout canoe from the 6th century BC has been preserved. Several finds in the Heilbronn area prove that shipping was already practised on the Neckar in Roman times.
The dugout canoe soon developed into a simple fishing boat. This original type was still in use until the 20th century. All the ship models in the showcases are meticulously built according to the historical boat and ship types, some of them according to drawings from 1598.