There is probably no catchier tune in the old town of Rostock than the hit by the GDR band Karat from the 1970s: "Über sieben Brücken musst du gehen..." could also be a homage to the "City of Seven". After all, Rostock has always been associated with this number: seven churches whose seven bells ring out at the same time, seven towers on the town hall, seven gates leading to the countryside and seven streets leading off the market square. Couples met at the seven old lime trees in the rose garden and merchants crossed seven bridges to the harbour.
If you reach the largest city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on your own keel via the Warnow, the city harbour is a good starting point for a stroll through the old town with its typical Hanseatic flair.
The Kempowski Ufer is a popular promenade with restaurants and maritime attractions such as the museum icebreaker "Stefan Jantzen". The old warehouses and historic cranes on the Haedge peninsula in the west are evidence of the fact that all cargo handling was concentrated here until the opening of the seaport in 1960.
Rostock: Building ships and brewing beer
For centuries, large sailing ships were built on the sandy banks of the Warnow. In the course of industrialisation, the shipyards disappeared and all that remains of the beach today is the name of the main thoroughfare Am Strande. Northern Germany's largest Christmas market takes place on the Neuer Markt with its magnificent town houses and the more than 700-year-old town hall in the run-up to Christmas. Further to the east, St Peter's Church rises up. Its tall tower was once an important landmark for seafarers and is still a landmark today.
The city centre is located on the left bank of the Warnow, whose course widens here into the Lower Warnow, which gave the city its name: Rastokŭ meant "flowing apart" in the Slavic language of the first Wendish settlers.
In the centre of the city panorama stands the Marienkirche, an impressive building in North German brick Gothic style. From Neuer Markt, follow Kröpeliner Straße, the main shopping street, in the direction of Kröpeliner Tor. You will pass a number of faithfully restored gabled houses and buildings from various stylistic periods. Thanks to its membership of the Hanseatic League, the 14th century is regarded as a time of prosperity for the city. The oldest university in Northern Europe was founded here in 1419.
To this day, the university square in the centre of the street is a central meeting point. In summer, students, senior citizens and families with children cool off at the fountain of joie de vivre in the walk-in water fountains of the water feature, which is also popularly known as the "porn fountain" because of the lolling naked figures.
The Kröpeliner Tor at the end of the street is the most magnificent of the once 22 city gates. Today it houses an exhibition on Rostock's city fortifications, parts of which are still preserved around the old town. As the city grew beyond the ramparts, working-class neighbourhoods gradually emerged, such as the Kröpeliner Tor suburb, which is now one of the liveliest and most colourful districts in the city with its trendy pubs, cafés and galleries.
After work: chilling on the banks of the Warnow
In the evening, locals and visitors are drawn to the banks of the Warnow to barbecue at the city harbour or dangle their feet over the quay wall and enjoy a drink at sunset. The red deckchairs at the trendy Rost Dock bar are a particularly good place to relax under palm trees. In addition to cocktails and chilled music, there are also games for all ages to borrow - such as crown cork chess. Cultural and music events are organised regularly. If you're looking for an even more maritime atmosphere, head to the sailor's pub Zur Kogge. The red corner building is just a stone's throw from the city harbour.
Prepared sawfish dangle from the ceiling and detailed ship models exude a touch of seafaring romance. Incidentally, Rostock's main export until the decline of the Hanseatic League was beer.
Floating maritime history
The next day, it heads downstream towards the Baltic Sea. While it flows from east to west for a short section in the Rostock city area, the Unterwarnow then resumes its original flow direction from south to north. Marina Schmarl is located on its western bank about halfway before it widens into the Breitling and then flows into the Baltic Sea at Warnemünde. The floating dock is ideally located directly on the grounds of the IGA Park: quieter than Warnemünde and Rostock, yet only three nautical miles from the Baltic Sea and about the same distance from the city centre.
The galley on the jetty and the café in the Fährhaus Schmarl offer coffee specialities and homemade cakes. The small harbour opposite Rostock's seaport is also just a few metres from Germany's largest floating museum.
The Rostock Maritime Museum on board the 10,000-tonne ship "Dresden" offers maritime history that the whole family can touch. The former ocean-going freighter itself, which was not only launched at the Warnow shipyard in 1957 but also sailed under the flag of the Deutsche Seereederei Rostock, takes visitors on a journey back to the days of the GDR's burgeoning maritime trade. In the outdoor area, further exhibits tell of the changing history of shipbuilding and the inventive spirit of the people of Rostock.
Take the ferry across to Hohe Düne
Wilhelm Bartelmann was also enterprising. In 1882, the master basket maker invented the beach chair here, which still characterises the image along the coast today. He most likely drew his inspiration from Warnemünde beach, which enjoyed growing popularity during his lifetime. For a long time, the small town at the mouth of the Warnow was just a fishing village that barely benefited from the wealth of the nearby Hanseatic city - until seaside resorts came into fashion in the 19th century and the number of visitors to Warnemünde quickly exceeded that of its inhabitants. Since then, the sandy beach has been one of the most popular excursion destinations on the German Baltic coast.
Every summer, the Warnemünde Week and the Hanse Sail are held here, each attracting around one million visitors. It is also home to Germany's most important cruise harbour with around 200 visits per season.
The car ferry takes you from the Warnemünde ferry terminal across the sea canal to Hohe Düne to the marina and hotel complex of the same name, which was once part of Leipzig's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The marina is located directly behind the east pier and offers 750 berths. The seal research centre is also located on the eastern pier. A former river passenger ship has been gutted for the research centre and equipped with offices, workshops and laboratories. From the visitor deck, you can watch the researchers at work with the seals. The eastern pier also offers a good view of Warnemünde, the ocean liners at the cruise terminal and other shipping traffic.
Warnemünde: Between beach chair and beach bar
For centuries, the original estuary of the Warnow, the Alte Strom, was the shipping connection between the Baltic Sea and the city harbour. It was replaced by the Neuer Strom in 1903 due to the start of ferry traffic to Denmark and the necessary harbour conversion. Today, the Alte Strom in Warnemünde is closed off upstream by a dam. The banks are lined with restaurants, cafés and boutiques. A new marina opened in 2023 on the central pier between the Old and New Streams: 246 berths for guests and permanent residents are available on 14 floating jetties. There is a slipway, sanitary building and harbour master's office. Behind the new marina is the fish market. At weekends, you can buy fresh catch and smoked fish straight from the cutter.
At the tip of the central pier, the four-metre-high female statue "Esperanza", gleaming in the sunlight, welcomes all ships arriving and departing from Warnemünde.
There is another statue on the western pier opposite: the "Great Standing One" symbolises a sailor's wife who mourns for those left at sea. However, an even better view of the incoming and outgoing ships can be had from the Warnemünde lighthouse, the landmark of the small seaside resort, which is still used as a sea beacon with its white flashing beacon. From the galleries below the lantern, you have a magnificent panoramic view of Warnemünde, the Baltic Sea, the beach and the harbours.
At the foot of the round tower stands the famous Teepott with its unusual shell-shaped roof. Various bars and restaurants along the lakeside promenade invite you to relax at the end of your shore leave.
A breath of fresh air is blowing through the Wal beach bar. The young operators have used recycled waste wood and containers to design the bar. Instead of the obligatory chips with fish cakes, there are culinary specialities such as falafel or pasta with peanut and wild garlic pesto. In the summer months between June and August, you can listen to live music from the stage container directly at the gateway to the sea, enjoy the sunset over the Baltic Sea on the hammock island or in one of the deckchairs with your feet in the sand and a cold drink in your hand and - if you like - dream of distant shores.
