Rostock

Rostock is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, though not its capital. It is a hub for Baltic Sea ferries, Germany's largest port for cruise ships by number of boardings and pleasant enough for a longer stay mostly due to its Hanseatic heritage.

Understand


Rostock stretches along the Warnow River estuary up to the Baltic Sea, with Warnemünde (literally "mouth of the Warnow" - analogous to Travemünde in Lübeck) district being a popular seaside resort and long the main port of Rostock. Rostock was an important member of the Hanseatic League, and one of the most important ports of the GDR (East Germany). Until the collapse of the East German economy in 1989/90 Rostock was a major center for shipbuilding and a few shipyards still remain, despite their economic woes. Rostock Warnemünde harbour was the main base of the East German fishery fleet. Warnemünde port remains one of the more important German ports for Baltic Sea Ferries as well as Germany's most important port for cruise ships.



By plane


Or you can fly to Hamburg or Berlin Brandenburg Airport  and travel by train to Rostock (see below).

By car
From Hamburg take the motorway A1 to Lübeck and from there take the A20 to Rostock. It's a 2-hour trip. If starting in Berlin you have to drive along the A24 in the direction of Hamburg until the A19 is crossing the motorway. Following the A19 you reach Rostock. It's a trip of 2½ hours.

By bus


There are numerous domestic and international bus connections to Rostock; Flixbus being the major operator. Most long distance buses arrive at the central bus station (ZOB) next to the central train station, but some call at the ferry terminal.

By boat
Rostock is one of the hubs for Baltic Sea ferries in Germany. And the busiest German port for cruises.

There is a ferry from Gedser in Denmark every second hour with Scandlines. This connection covers a rather short stretch on the sea and has been suggested as an alternative to the Fehmarn Belt fixed link that is being built to link Putgarden (on Fehmarn) and Rødby by road and rail. Ferries from Trelleborg in Sweden have up to 6 departures per day with Stena Line or TT-Line. All Baltic Sea ferries arrive at the ferry terminal on the eastern side of the Warnow River.

Buses call frequently at the ferry terminal (Rostock Seehafen Fähre), linking to Dierkower Kreuz tram hub or Lütten Klein urban railway (S-Bahn) station. A taxi ride downtown will cost you around €25 (Aug 2021).

Most cruise ships approaching Rostock call at the passenger terminal in Warnemünde. Urban railway (S-Bahn) trains to the central train station and some long distance train services depart right adjacent from Warnemünde station.

By bicycle
The Berlin-Copenhagen Cycle Route passes through Rostock.

By public transport
Public transport (bus, tram, ferry, train, etc.) in Rostock is part of the Verkehrsverbund Warnow (VVW), the traffic association which provides a common ticketing and integrated transport system in the surrounding area.

Rostock features a good inner-city tramway system. A bus system serves other locations.

The following tickets are available for transportation within the fare zone of Rostock (which includes Warnemünde), as of October 2023:
 * Single ticket: adults €2.80, reduced €2.10
 * Single ticket (ferry): adults €1.90, reduced €1.20
 * Single ticket (bicycle): €2.00
 * Day ticket: adults €7.10, reduced €5.40
 * Day ticket (bicycle): €4.40
 * Day ticket (groups): €20.00 for up to 5 people

Single tickets can be used for a one-way trip and you can switch between modes of transportation. Day tickets are valid until 03:00 the next day.

See

 * The Alter Strom canal area in Warnemünde boasts restaurants, pubs, and a fish market.
 * The Alter Strom canal area in Warnemünde boasts restaurants, pubs, and a fish market.
 * The Alter Strom canal area in Warnemünde boasts restaurants, pubs, and a fish market.
 * The Alter Strom canal area in Warnemünde boasts restaurants, pubs, and a fish market.
 * The Alter Strom canal area in Warnemünde boasts restaurants, pubs, and a fish market.
 * The Alter Strom canal area in Warnemünde boasts restaurants, pubs, and a fish market.

Buy
The main shopping district is around Kröpeliner Straße within the medieval city center. The greatest selection of souvenirs is offered in the Warnemünde seaside resort area. Typical products include a fine selection of jewelry and craftmanship, sea buckthorn juice or Rostocker Pils beer.

Rostock has a few so called border shops that are dedicated to selling consumer goods to tourists from Denmark and Sweden. The border shops are probably the best place in Germany to find candy, soda, cider, beer, liquor and other things produced in Denmark and Sweden at lower prices than in their home market. This is due to the lower excise taxes in Germany, even though the gap is closing in. The deposit-refund systems in the three EU-countries are not compatible, so a proforma export declaration must be submitted and photo-ID must be presented when buying beverages that normally have a deposit paid in Germany. These deposit-refund exempt beverages are only permitted for export to Denmark and Sweden and will not be sold to Germans.



Sleep
Rostock has introduced a Kurtaxe (tourist tax) on 1st September 2023, meaning staying for leisure in any formal accommodation attracts a €3.70/day charge on top of the accommodation's price. You'll receive a Gästekarte (guest card - physical or digital depending on the accommodation) proving you paid the tax, which lets you use Rostock's public transport for free throughout your stay, and gives discounts with certain facilities and tourist-oriented operators; enquire each time you plan an activity (ie visiting the zoo/a museum or going on a harbour cruise).

Stay safe
Rostock is generally a safe place to be, especially the areas most visited by tourists: the medieval city center and the Warnemünde resort area. As in all crowded areas, be aware of pickpockets. During nighttime, drunk people can be an unpleasant experience; it is best to keep a distance.

Bathing in the Baltic Sea can be dangerous in case of strong currents or high waves and also during cyanobacterial blooms in summer. Popular beaches are equipped with flags, a pure yellow flag signalling adverse conditions that might be dangerous for untrained swimmers and a red flag prohibiting all bathing activities. Bathing is prohibited at all times in the Stadthafen old port area in the city center. It is strongly advisable to abide to this restriction as heavy ship traffic in this part of the Warnow river poses a constant danger.

Connect
Free WiFi is available in most of the central shopping district, at the central rail station, along the Alter Strom area in Warnemünde and various other places throughout the city. Private WiFis are usually password protected, so be prepared to find large gaps in open WiFi coverage. Many hotels, restaurants, pubs or shops provide free WiFi, although you may have to ask for an access code.

Go next

 * Bad Doberan with Heiligendamm
 * Güstrow
 * Hamburg
 * Kühlungsborn
 * Rügen
 * Schwerin
 * Wismar
 * Usedom