Germany - Warnemunde/Rostock

Warnemunde, Germany...a former fishing village, now a summer resort area is inextricably intertwined with the sea and has a reputation for being one of the finest "bathing" resort in the Baltic.

Warnemunde boasts one of the most charming ports on the Baltic coast. It is also the gateway to the old Hanseatic town of Rostock, as well of one of Europe's most historic and bustling cities, Berlin. Getting into Berlin and back to the pier is a total of 6 hours train ride. That leaves 5-6 hours in Berlin, which we declined. Instead, we chose to avoid the hustle and headed straight for Rostock, a wonderful small town, 16km from the port. It is the largest in the northern part of Germany and is perfect for a day of soaking up the local culture. We took a taxi and asked to be dropped off at the Kropliner Tor.

The Kropeliner Tor is the main gate-tower for the old town. In the olden days, this was where people entered the city. Take advantage of walking in the footsteps of history! This is also where the action is. Kropeliner Strasse is the main shopping street as well as the center of the old town. The street is closed to traffic and ideal for leisurely walking, shopping, and having coffee in the outdoor cafes.

As we get to the University Square (Universitatsplatz) in the center of the street, we found a wonderful fountain and several 15th century buildings to investigate. Here is the University of Rostock that was founded in 1419. There is also a great outdoor cafe (Grand Cafe) on the corner overlooking the fountain. We stopped here for coffee and pastries and people watching. Further along the street are more shops, lots of ice cream places and street vendors. On the side street called Eselföterstraße is the perfect German restaurant Stilbruch with typical local food. It caters to the locals, not tourists. We stopped for lunch here and having satisfied our appetite, we continued along Kropeliner Strasse heading to the Rathaus - the government building. Around this square are lots of vendors and a farmer's market. A great place to pick up some fresh fruit, have some more coffee and partake in the Europoean passtime of people watching.

Before we get to the Rathaus we came across the street Am Ziegenmarkt. Here is Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church). St. Mary's Church was built starting in the 13th century with 700 years of wonderful craftsmanship inside, it houses "the clock". Constructed in 1472, this is a working astronomical clock that keeps track of the time, calendar, and astronomical events. It is a superb piece of German engineering and a marvel to behold. And it is the only one of its kind still working.

After visiting St. Mary's Church, we headed back to the fountain plaza (Universitatsplatz) and walk down Breite Strasse that ends at the river. Unfortunately, we were late to catch the last ferry back to Warnemunde and had to go to one of the hotels near the train station to grab a taxi back to the port at Warnemunde.

This was a nice relaxing day, without the pressure of a tour to experience a little slice of German town life. Auf Weidersehn!