Rostock & Warnemünde
A Hanseatic old town plus Warnemünde's white-sand beach and lighthouse, with the Molli steam train and Bad Doberan Minster an easy day trip away.
Rostock lies in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in northeastern Germany, where the Warnow River flows into the Baltic Sea. A historic Hanseatic League city and the largest port in eastern Germany, it is home to the University of Rostock, founded in 1419 and one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe. About 12 km north of the city, Warnemünde is Rostock's seaside resort and cruise port, and where most visitors base themselves. The best time to visit is Jun–Aug, for sea swimming, hooded beach chairs (Strandkörbe) and the Hanse Sail festival on the second weekend of August; May and Sep are quieter and cool, ideal for cycling; winters are cold and windy, but the Christmas market on the Neuer Markt is well known. Sightseeing falls into three areas: Rostock's Old Town (the astronomical clock in St. Mary's Church, Neuer Markt, Kröpeliner Straße, the viewing tower of St. Peter's Church and the City Harbour); Warnemünde (the lighthouse, the broad beach, fish sandwiches along the Alter Strom canal and cruise-ship watching); and, to the west, Bad Doberan Minster and the Molli steam train via Heiligendamm to Kühlungsborn, a classic day trip. Further afield you can visit Schwerin Palace, Güstrow or the Darß Peninsula. Wismar's old town fits better into an itinerary toward Lübeck. Getting there: about 2.5 hours by train from Berlin and about 2 hours from Hamburg; the S-Bahn links Rostock Hauptbahnhof with Warnemünde in about 20 minutes. Most Baltic cruises call at Warnemünde, and cruise passengers often stay just one day. Allow 2–3 days.
Top sights
- St. Mary's Church & Astronomical Clock – Rostock's largest brick Gothic church. Its astronomical clock, built in 1472, still runs on its original mechanism and is the city's top at…
- Neuer Markt & Town Hall – The heart of the old town square. Behind a pink Baroque facade stands a seven-towered Gothic town hall, surrounded by colorful gabled merch…
- Warnemünde Lighthouse & Teepott – A white lighthouse from 1898 stands by the sea alongside the “Teapot,” a hyperbolic-roofed building from the East German era. From the top…
- Warnemünde Beach – One of the widest white sand beaches on Germany's Baltic coast, over 100 meters wide in places. Rows of striped beach chairs line the sand…
- Kröpeliner Straße & Kröpeliner Tor – The main pedestrian street of the old town, running from University Square to the Gothic gate Kröpeliner Tor, lined with restored gabled ho…
- Universitätsplatz – The square in front of the main building of the University of Rostock, founded in 1419 and one of the oldest universities in Northern Europ…
- St. Peter's Church – The oldest church in the old town. Its 117-meter spire has an elevator to a 45-meter viewing platform overlooking the old town, the Warnow…
- St. Nicholas' Church – One of the three great Gothic churches of the old town. Restored after World War II, it unusually has apartments in its roof space and now…
- Cultural History Museum (Holy Cross Abbey) – A city museum housed in a 13th-century Cistercian convent. Its peaceful cloister courtyard holds medieval altarpieces, Hanseatic artifacts…
- Rostock City Harbour – The old harbor on the Warnow River, north of the old town, with cranes, warehouses and restaurants lining the shore. The Hanse Sail in Augu…
- Rostock Zoo & Darwineum – The largest zoo in northeastern Germany. The Darwineum, themed around evolution, lets you see gorillas and orangutans up close, and the new…
- Shipbuilding & Maritime Museum (MS Dresden) – A museum on the 1958 ocean freighter MS Dresden, moored in the IGA Park. Visitors can walk through the engine room, bridge and crew quarter…
- Alter Strom, Warnemünde – Fishing boats moor along the old waterway, where colorful fishermen's cottages have been turned into cafés and fish snack stands. Smoked fi…
- Karls Erlebnis-Dorf Rövershagen – A strawberry-themed farm park with free admission, featuring a strawberry market, rides, a jam workshop and pick-your-own strawberry fields…
- Güstrow Palace – One of the most important Renaissance palaces in northern Germany, with a restored court garden. The small town also has sculptures by Barl…
- Schwerin Castle – A fairytale palace on an island in Lake Schwerin, with golden domes and towers reflected in the water. It is a symbol of Mecklenburg.
- Darß West Beach – A wild beach in Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park, with wind-sculpted fallen trees, primeval forest and a lighthouse. It is rate…
Where to eat
- Zum Stromer – A small, historic restaurant on the old canal in Warnemünde, once a gathering place for fishermen and sailors, with hig…
- Zur Kogge – Said to be Rostock's oldest maritime-themed tavern, where you can eat pickled herring, sailor's stew and plaice with fr…
- Bier- und Branntweinkontor – An unpretentious tavern at the quieter south end of the old canal, smoking its own fish and distilling a 56-proof house…
- Backfisch-Udo – A fishing boat moored on the old canal selling beer-battered fish sandwiches, among Warnemünde's most talked-about.
Itineraries
- Hanseatic Cities & Baltic Railway: Hamburg to Berlin – Take the train from Hamburg along the Baltic Sea to Rügen Island, connecting historic Hanseatic cities before arriving…
- North Sea to Baltic Coast Loop: 14-Day Self-Drive Itinerary – Embark on a road trip from Hamburg around the North Sea and Baltic Sea, covering Sylt, Viking heritage sites, and Rügen…