Rostock GermanyCruise Port Guide

Rostock is the largest city on the German Baltic Sea coast, a historically significant Hanseatic trading port whose medieval architecture survived the 20th century with more dignity than many of its counterparts. Cruise ships dock at the dedicated terminal in Warnemünde, a charming seaside resort and fishing village at the mouth of the Warnow River some 12 kilometres north of central Rostock — the port itself is one of the busiest cruise terminals on the southern Baltic, receiving over 180 vessels annually. Warnemünde has a distinct character of its own: a long sandy beach backed by typical North German seaside resort architecture, a historic Alter Strom (Old Channel) canal lined with fishing boats, seafood restaurants, and souvenir shops, and a 37-metre lighthouse dating from 1897 that offers sweeping Baltic views from its gallery. The village beach, one of the finest on the German Baltic coast, is a favourite summer destination for Berliners and is within walking distance of the cruise terminal.

Central Rostock, a 25-minute S-Bahn ride from Warnemünde, rewards exploration with one of the better-preserved medieval urban centres in northern Germany. The Neuer Markt (New Market) square is framed by the seven-gabled brick façade of the Gothic Rathaus (Town Hall), a magnificent ensemble of alternating brick arches and blind tracery built between the 13th and 15th centuries. Dominating the square is the Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church), a vast north German Brick Gothic cathedral whose most extraordinary feature is the Astronomical Clock built in 1472 — one of the oldest and largest astronomical clocks in the world, still running perfectly after more than 550 years, featuring a calendar valid to 2017 (which was updated) and a daily apostle procession. The Rostock Zoologischer Garten (Zoo), founded in 1899 and covering 56 hectares with 4,500 animals from 320 species, is the largest zoo on the German Baltic coast and was voted best European zoo in its category in 2015 — its Darwineum, a landmark building shaped like a coiling animal, houses one of the most impressive primate and tropical ecosystem exhibits in Germany.

Rotock's significance as a Baltic hub extends to its role as a major Scandinavian ferry gateway: daily Scandlines and Stena Line ferries connect Rostock and Warnemünde to Gedser in Denmark and Trelleborg in Sweden, making the port the key land bridge between Germany and Scandinavia. This crossroads history — Rostock was one of the leading cities of the medieval Hanseatic League — gives the city a cosmopolitan, outward-looking atmosphere that distinguishes it from other Baltic ports.