Rostock is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, though not its capital. It is a hub for Baltic Sea ferries, Germany’s largest port for cruise ships by number of boardings and pleasant enough for a longer stay mostly due to its Hanseatic heritage.
Understand : Rostock is near the Baltic Sea and to protect its fishing and access rights it annexed Warnemunde (named for being the mouth of the river Warnow), a port area to the north. Rostock was an important member of the Hanseatic League, and one of the most important ports of the GDR (East Germany). Until the collapse of the East German economy in 1989/90 Rostock was a major center for shipbuilding and a few shipyards still remain, despite their economic woes.
Access : Coordinates: 54.083333, 12.133333 / By plane : Rostock–Laage Airport (RLG IATA) 20 km south of Rostock . There are shuttle buses from the airport to town but no rail connection. There are frequent flights from Cologne, Dusseldorf, Munich Airport, Stuttgart and Zurich to Rostock-Laage airport.
Or you can fly to Hamburg (HAM IATA) or Berlin (SXF IATA,TXL IATA) and travel by train to Rostock
By train : Rostock Central Station . From Hamburg Central Station you can take the train to Rostock. Buy a Mecklenburg-Vorpommern-Ticket for €22-38. With this MV-Ticket you can travel with 5 people from Hamburg to Rostock. From Leipzig and Berlin Central Station Deutsche Bahn runs numerous connections each day. There are a couple of ICE trains a day from places as far away as Munich.
By car : From Hamburg take the motorway A1 to Lubeck and from there take the A20 to Rostock. It’s a 1½-hour trip. If starting in Berlin you have to drive along the A24 in the direction of Hamburg until the A19 is crossing the motorway. Following the A19 you reach Rostock. It’s a trip of 2½ hours
By bus : There are numerous domestic and international bus connections to Rostock operators include: Flixbus. There are two bus stops: one at the ferry terminal, and one at Dierkower Kreuz which is a transfer point between buses and trams in the northeast of Rostock.
By boat : Rostock is one of the hubs for Baltic Sea ferries in Germany. And the busiest German port for cruises. There is a ferry from Gedser in Denmark every second hour with Scandlines. This connection covers a rather short stretch on the sea and has been suggested as an alternative to the Fehmarn Belt fixed link that is being built to link Putgarden and Rodby. Prior to European (and German) partition, there were also railway ferries along this route, but they have been moved to the aforementioned line between Fehmarn and Lolland in the 1950s and 1960s and didn’t return with the fall of the Iron Curtain. Ferry from Trelleborg in Sweden up to 6 departures per day with Stena Line or TT-Line. Ferry from Helsinki in Finland twice a week with Finnlines.
From the ferry terminal, you need to take a series of buses to go to the center of Rostock. You can also try to head for the Rostock-North S-Bahn (train) station, about 1 km away from the terminal. Therefore you may get stuck at the ferry port certain days when the bus services are low or if you can’t find the train station. A taxi ride downtown will cost you around €20.
The passenger terminal in Warnemunde is used by cruise ships. It can be reached easily by train (10 minutes), by boat (1 hour) or taxi from central Rostock. All trains from Warnemunde stop in Rostock. The train station is an easy three minute walk north along the dock. By bicycle : The Berlin-Copenhagen Cycle Route passes through Rostock.
Highlights :
- Warnemunde beach. Visit the sandy 3-km beach at Warnemunde in the north. Go swimming there, if the weather is warm enough.
- Petrikirche (St. Peter’s Church). Open from 10:00, closing time depends on the season (16:00 in winter, 18:00 May – Sep – consult website if unsure). Petrikirche boasts the tallest tower of the three remaining churches within the old town.
- Zoo, 18059 Rostock, Barnstorfer Ring.
- Warnemunde Lighthouse (near the beach promenade). Built in 1897 and still in use. The view from the high tower provides an impressive view of the Baltic Sea and nearby Rostock region.
- The Teapot (Teepott). Another famous landmark of the Warnemunde beach. It has a curved roof and is an interesting example of East German architecture.
An old canal area in Warnemunde boast restaurants, pubs, and a fish market. - Warnemunde is a seaside resort – district north of Rostock, to which it is administratively attached.
Activities : Stadthalle Rostock. The Stadthalle Rostock has many shows and music events./ KTV. The Kropeliner-Tor-Vorstadt (KTV, “Kropelin Gate Suburb”) was the first part of Rostock built outside the medieval city walls, in the 2nd half of the 19th century. It was designed to house workers flocking to the newly industrialised town. Today’s KTV is one of the most popular residential areas, especially with students and artists. It is here that you will find the highest density of bars, cafes and small shops selling handicraft or organic food.
Stadtmauer (city walls). While much of Rostock’s fortifications were removed on the “sea”side (towards the river Warnow), a large part of the city wall remains on the “land” side and is certainly worth a visit. You will encounter 3 remaining gates, Kropeliner Tor, Steintor (stone gate) and the oldest, Kuhtor (cow gate). Guided tours (some of them by a guide dressed up as a medieval night-watchman) are available and recommended for anyone interested in the history of the town. / Watch the sunset in the harbour.
Go next : Bad Doberan with Heiligendamm / Gustrow / Hamburg / Kuhlungsborn / Rugen / Schwerin / Wismar / Usedom
