DISTANT PLACES
Travel tips by Bremen sehenswert far from the Hanseatic City of Bremen
Hanseatic City of Rostock - A Travel Guide
Warnemünde
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After a long hike, the beach calls
At the beach
A total of three kilometers of fine sand stretch along the Baltic Sea with a width of 150 meters, making it the widest of all German Baltic beaches. Warnemünde was first mentioned as a seaside resort in 1821; in the years following, visitor numbers grew significantly. To this day, despite events like Hanse Sail and Warnemünder Woche, the town never suffers from a lack of guests.
Made of sand by Edith van de Wetering and Wilfres Stijger from the Netherlands: "Road trip through California" (2026)
Visitors arrive by various means. Rostock’s main station is served by long-distance trains, making the S-Bahn mentioned at the start just a stone's throw away. Additionally, Flixbus coaches use the city as a stop on their routes. Many visitors, however, come across the sea; the port in Warnemünde is Rostock's ferry terminal, where large ferries to Denmark, Sweden, and Poland arrive several times daily.
At the beach
These large ships are just as much of a sight for those traveling along the Alten Strom as they are when arriving or departing. To reduce emissions, these ships use LNG or "rotor sails" - recognizable by the rotating tower on some vessels. Because the bathing beach is right next to the port entrance, the displacement of water causes waves.
One of the ferries
This might please some swimmers, surfers, and kitesurfers. But even without the giants' help, the Baltic can be rough and wild - then it’s time for the skilled surfers and kitesurfers to show their skills.
Cruise ship MSC Magnifica leaves Warnemünde
The ferries become a familiar sight after a few days, but many people stand in formation on the jetty and at the edge of the harbor when large cruise ships arrive or depart. MSC, Regent, or AIDA regularly visit this coastal town; AIDA Cruises, based in Rostock, even enjoys "home-field advantage." Often, these floating hotels dock at night so passengers have time for a shore excursion during the day. (See here, when "AIDAmar" passed the ferry terminal)
More than just harbor tours - when a cruise ship arrives or departs, accompanying trips are offered. This allows those on board to get very close to the larger ships.
Almost in the middle of the town, a new temporary neighborhood suddenly appears in the morning. Why a "neighborhood"? Not in terms of area, but in terms of population. Anyone who quickly looks it up on the Vesselfinder app par example will learn about the maximum passenger capacities of these ships. More than 3,000 is not at all rare, and it even happens that two cruise ships dock at the pier simultaneously.
Sampling local specialties, such as this delicious dark beer from Rostock, should be on the itinerary of everyone
Unfortunately, a large number of people on shore excursions does not translate into ringing cash registers for local businesses; since full service is included on board around the clock, most guests have their meals and drinks on the ship.
No guests! No, that cute little restaurant was just closed for the day.
Many destination ports are experiencing disillusionment because of this. People from the ships flood local sights by the hour, and meanwhile, the air is often polluted because many ships are not connected to shore power and must run their engines day and night - even in 2026, they will still be using fossil fuels.
Entitled "Southern Firmament," this piece dates back to 1999. A cruise ship is visible in the background. These vessels also voyage across the Southern Hemisphere, where travelers can hopefully enjoy a night sky with minimal light pollution.
Okay, a more conciliatory note on this topic: In Papenburg in the economically weak Emsland region of Lower Saxony, the construction of massive cruise ships at Meyer Werft has secured many jobs for years. And these ships are undoubtedly marvels of shipbuilding and impressive to behold. It is a matter of expertise. When Meyer Werft berths a new build on the Ems river, not only ship-spotters stand on the dikes.
Since 2012, all ships in the port of Warnemünde have been welcomed and bid farewell by "Esperanza." This bronze sculpture by artist Ené Slawow - named "Esperanza," which translates to "Hope" - was donated by BALTIC Taucherei- und Bergungsbetrieb Rostock GmbH
By the way, a visit to Warnemünde can be an experience even in the depths of winter, especially when sheets of ice pile up on the beach.
Ice floes on the beach © Marc Poels
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Map
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Active holiday featuring cycling and hiking
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