The gateway to Scandinavia

Rostock is the only member of the Historic Highlights of Germany that is situated on the coast. The salty air of the Baltic Sea belongs as much to the city as the sound of the sea gulls. Experience a refreshing mix of urban life, marine flair and beach culture.

In 2018 the glorious seaport will celebrate its 800th anniversary. As the most important member of the Hanse (Hanseatc League), the city gained great wealth in the past and nowadays fascinates its visitors with impressive monuments: gorgeous gabled houses, great churches with more than 100 meter high towers, enormous cellars, impressive gates and massive dams. Many monuments were erected in the typical North German Brick Gothic style. As stones used to be a rare resource in the North, people started to build with bricks. With the warm reddish color they formed the style of architecture Germany's North is so famous for.

Rostock retained a lot from its former charm of a medieval merchant's town. Part of this charm is the Seaside Resort Warnemünde. It was purchased hundreds of years ago by the citizens of Rostock because of its close location to the harbor entrance. It is more than just the "Alte Strom" (Old Stream) that still shows Warnemünde's character of a fishing village. You can buy fresh fish straight off the fishing cutters. Warnemünde's promenade presents itself with noble seaside resorts, villas, hotels, restaurants, bars and boutiques.

Each year, on the second weekend in August, Rostock and Warnemünde are the scene of one of the biggest yachting events in the world. The Hanse Sail is a maritime celebration with around about one million visitors. Traditional sailboats from all over the world are there to be gazed at and sailed on. About 200 disguised sailors offer you a spectacular experience. 

Our advice for your rendezvous of the senses in Rostock: 

Follow the traces of the Hanse in one of the guided tours. After that, try some Mecklenburger Rippenbraten (Mecklenburg's roast ribs) and digest with a Rostocker Doppelkümmel, the famous local caraway seed schnapps.