Warnemünde (Berlin)
Rostock-Warnemünde is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, situated on the Baltic Sea coast. Founded in the 11th century, Rostock became a prominent member of the Hanseatic League, a powerful medieval trade alliance that shaped much of Northern Europe’s commerce and culture. The city’s long maritime tradition is evident in its bustling port, which remains one of the largest and busiest on the Baltic Sea. Warnemünde, Rostock’s seaside district, is famed for its sandy beaches, historic lighthouse, and charming fishing village atmosphere. Rostock is also home to one of the oldest universities in the Baltic region, founded in 1419, which has contributed to the city’s vibrant intellectual and cultural life. Every year, the Hanse Sail festival attracts thousands of visitors from around the world, celebrating Rostock’s seafaring heritage with tall ships, music, and festivities. Today, Rostock offers a unique blend of historical charm and modern activity, making it a dynamic hub of maritime culture and education.
💡 Berlin (Warnemünde): Good to Know
🛂 Visa: Canada, Australia, the US, Korea, and Japan are visa-exempt for a stay of up to 90 days
✈️ Closest Airport: Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER)
💬 Language: German, but English is widely spoken
🏷️ Price Level: Germany offers a price level that is very much in line with what you would find in the United States
🍔 Big Mac Index: US: US$5.69 / Germany US$ 7.19
💰 Currency: Euro (EUR)| 1 USD = ca. 0.90 EUR)
☀️ Best Times to Visit: The best time to visit is between May and September
🚘 Transportation: local trains, trams, city buses, and taxis
🔌 Adapter: Germany uses type C and F plugs. No adapter is needed if you are from Europe but it is needed when coming from the US
🛜 WiFi: widely available; the city offers free Wi-Fi in several locations, including parks and the area around the town hall on Neuer Markt.
🏧💰ATM and “Cash or Card”: While some stores take only cash, payments with cards are generally accepted; ATMs are available throughout the city
💸 Tipping: A 5–10% tip is standard in restaurants — round up and hand it to the server rather than leaving it on the table. Tipping is also common for taxis and hotel staff.
🚢 Cruise Terminal Address: Ost-West-Straße 32, 18119 Rostock, Germany (docked)
✈️ 🚇🚕 Getting There and Around
🏙️ Rostock is located about 120 miles (195 km) from the city center of Berlin.
🎟️ In Rostock, you can pay for buses and trams using ticket machines, mobile ticketing, or contactless payment methods. Ticket machines are available on trams and buses, and at stops. You can also use the VVW app for mobile ticketing or use contactless payment with credit cards on some buses and trams.
In Berlin, you can pay for buses and trams using a variety of methods, including contactless payments at ticket machines, the BVG app, and directly with the bus driver. Cash is not accepted on buses.
✈️ Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) is located around 160 miles (260 kilometers) south of the cruise port in Rostock/ Warenmünde.
The most convenient way to get from BER Airport to Warnemünde by public transport is by train. This journey typically takes around 3 hours and costs approximately 50–55 EUR. You can catch a train directly from Flughafen BER station to Warnemünde station. Trains operate frequently, with about 7 departures per day. Alternatively, you can take a bus, but it's a longer journey. The bus from Berlin Airport BER to Warnemünde takes around 4 hours and 35 minutes and costs between 22–30 EUR.
🚇 To get from the cruise terminal in Warnemünde to Rostock city center, the best way to get from Warnemünde to Rostock city center by public transport is to take the S-Bahn train. There is a direct S-Bahn train service from Warnemünde to Rostock Hauptbahnhof (Central Station). The S-Bahn station is conveniently located immediately outside the cruise terminal in Warnemünde. The journey to Rostock takes around 25 minutes.
To get from the cruise terminal in Warnemünde to Berlin’s Central Station, it’s easiest to take the train. The journey typically involves a change. By taking a regional train from Warnemünde to Rostock, which is a short ride, followed by an express train from Rostock to Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Hbf). The fastest train journey from Warnemünde to Berlin Hbf can take around 2 hours and 50 minutes. The average journey time is about 3 hours and 42 minutes, but this can vary depending on the specific train and any potential delays.
🚌 In Rostock, one hop-on-hop-off bus circles the main sights, and more info can be found here.
In Berlin, two different companies (Big Bus and City Sightseeing) offer hop-on-hop-off buses that connect the main sights throughout the city.
City bus 200 in Berlin is also very popular as it travels past many of the city's major landmarks and attractions. It's a cost-effective way to see a wide range of sights, functioning like a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour without the commentary
⭐️ Top Sights in Berlin & Rostock-Warnemünde
"Berlin is nine times bigger than Paris."
📸 Neuer Markt (New Market): Neuer Markt, or New Market, is a historic market square in the heart of Rostock, dating back to the 13th century. Despite its name, it's been the center of the city for centuries and features notable architecture such as the Rostock Town Hall with its Baroque facade and the restored gabled houses surrounding the square. The market continues to host local events and various market stalls offering fresh produce and other goods, making it a vibrant hub of activity in Rostock's Old Town.
📸 St. Marien Kirche (St. Mary’s Church): St. Mary's Church, known as Marienkirche, in Rostock, is the largest of the city's three main churches and a prime example of Brick Gothic architecture. Built in the 13th century and enlarged in the late 14th century, it features a magnificent astronomical clock from 1472, still functioning with its original clockwork, and a notable baroque organ.
📸 Alter Strom: The Alter Strom in Rostock, Germany, is a historically significant waterway that served as the primary shipping route to the city's harbor until 1903. Today, it has transformed into a vibrant and charming promenade in the Warnemünde district, lined with cafes, pubs, boutiques, and fishmongers, where visitors can enjoy the maritime atmosphere and watch yachts, fishing boats, and passenger ships.
Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany, steeped in a rich and complex history. It began as a small town in the 12th century, evolving into the capital of Prussia and later, a unified Germany. After World War II, Berlin was divided, with the Berlin Wall symbolizing the Cold War divide until its fall in 1989. Today, it's a vibrant global city known for its history, culture, and diverse atmosphere.
📸 Brandenburg Gate: The Brandenburg Gate, located in Berlin, Germany, is a famous neoclassical monument commissioned by King Frederick William II and completed in 1791. Designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans, it features a grand structure with five passageways, topped by the iconic Quadriga, a statue of the goddess of victory in a chariot. Historically, it has served as a symbol of royal power, nationalism, and, most notably, a divided Germany during the Cold War. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Brandenburg Gate has become an enduring emblem of German reunification and a focal point for national celebrations and events.
📸 Reichstag: The Reichstag Building in Berlin is the seat of the German federal parliament (Bundestag) and a prominent landmark. Completed in 1894 and later extensively renovated after German reunification, it features a striking glass dome designed by Norman Foster, symbolizing transparency in government and offering visitors panoramic views of the city. The building has a rich history, having housed the German parliament during the German Empire and the Weimar Republic, but it was severely damaged in a fire in 1933 and during World War II. Today, it stands as a symbol of Germany's democratic values and its journey from a tumultuous past to a hopeful future.
📸 Berlin TV Tower/ Alexanderplatz: The Berlin TV Tower (Fernsehturm Berlin) is an iconic landmark located near Alexanderplatz in central Berlin, Germany. Standing 368 meters (1,207 feet) tall, it's the tallest structure in Germany and the fourth-tallest TV tower in Europe. Originally built in the 1960s by the East German government to showcase their technological advancement, it now serves as a symbol of the reunified city, offering breathtaking panoramic views of Berlin from its observation deck and a unique dining experience in its revolving restaurant.
📸 Museum Island: Museum Island (Museumsinsel) in Berlin is a unique complex of five renowned museums situated on a small island in the Spree River. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its exceptional testimony to the evolution of museum design and its outstanding collections. The island houses the Altes Museum (Old Museum), Neues Museum (New Museum), Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), Bode-Museum, and the Pergamonmuseum. The Altes Museum features classical antiquities, the Neues Museum houses the bust of Nefertiti and prehistoric artifacts, the Alte Nationalgalerie showcases 19th-century art, the Bode-Museum specializes in sculpture, and the Pergamonmuseum (currently closed for renovation) contains monumental architectural reconstructions like the Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate.
📸 East Side Gallery: The East Side Gallery in Berlin is a powerful open-air gallery located on a preserved section of the Berlin Wall. Created in 1990 by 118 artists from 21 countries, it features murals that symbolize the joy and hope surrounding the fall of the Wall and the end of the Cold War, while also serving as a poignant reminder of the years of division and the struggles under the GDR border regime. The gallery is a significant landmark, drawing millions of visitors annually, and represents a transformation of a symbol of oppression into a celebration of freedom and unity.
📸 Checkpoint Charlie/ Mauermuseum: Checkpoint Charlie was the most famous crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War, serving as a vital checkpoint for Allied military personnel, diplomats, and foreigners. It symbolized the division of Berlin and was the site of numerous escape attempts and a tense tank standoff in 1961. While the original guardhouse is now in a museum, a replica stands at the site, along with an open-air exhibition detailing the history of the Berlin Wall and escape attempts. The nearby Mauermuseum or House at Checkpoint Charlie further explores the history of the wall and daring escapes from East Germany. Checkpoint Charlie serves as a poignant reminder of this significant period in history and attracts numerous visitors interested in learning about the Cold War.
📸 Jewish Museum: The Jewish Museum Berlin (Jüdisches Museum Berlin) is one of Europe's largest Jewish museums, presenting the history of Jews in Germany from the Middle Ages to the present day. Its distinctive zigzag building, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, is a significant part of the museum experience, symbolizing the complex and often challenging history of German-Jewish life through its unique forms and spaces, including "voids" that represent absence and loss.
📸 Berlin Cathedral: The Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), located on Museum Island in the heart of Berlin, is a grand Protestant church renowned for its impressive dome and elaborate architecture. Completed in 1905, it stands as a significant landmark in the city and houses the Hohenzollern Crypt, an important dynastic burial site. Visitors are drawn to its richly decorated interior, including the impressive Sauer organ, and can climb to the top of the dome for panoramic views of Berlin.
🍽️😋 Regional Specialties
Berlin's cuisine is a vibrant mix of traditional German fare and international flavors, influenced by its diverse population. Iconic dishes include Currywurst (sausage with curry ketchup) and Döner kebab, alongside hearty options like Eisbein (pickled pork knuckle). The city also embraces vegetarian and vegan options, and street food plays a significant role in its culinary identity.
🍽️ Currywurst: Currywurst is a popular German fast food dish, particularly in Berlin, consisting of steamed or fried pork sausage (often bratwurst) typically sliced and topped with a curry-flavored ketchup or sauce and sprinkled with curry powder. It's usually served with fries or a bread roll.
🍽️ Buletten: Buletten, also known as Berliner Boulette, are a popular German dish, essentially flattened meatballs or meat patties, similar to hamburgers but thicker and often made with a mixture of ground beef and pork. They are a beloved staple in Berlin and are commonly enjoyed as a snack or part of a meal.
🍽️ Berliner (Pfannkuchen): A Berliner, also known as Pfannkuchen in Berlin, is a German doughnut that is round and filled with jam, often raspberry or apricot, and coated with powdered sugar. It's a popular pastry, especially during Carnival season in Germany. While the name "Berliner" is used elsewhere, in Berlin itself, it's simply called Pfannkuchen.
🍽️ Königsberger Klopse: Königsberger Klopse are a classic German dish of meatballs in a creamy, caper-lemon sauce, traditionally served with potatoes. They originated in Königsberg, a Prussian city now known as Kaliningrad, Russia. The meatballs are typically made with a mixture of ground veal, beef, or pork, and often include anchovies, along with onions, eggs, and breadcrumbs. The sauce is a flavorful blend of the meatball broth, cream, lemon juice, and capers.
🍽️ Eisbein: Eisbein is a traditional German dish, particularly popular in Berlin, consisting of a cured and boiled pork knuckle (pork hock). It's known for its flavorful, slightly salty taste due to the curing process, and its tender, fall-off-the-bone texture after being simmered. In Berlin, it's typically served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes or pea puree, often with mustard on the side.
🍽️ Döner Kebab: A Döner Kebab in Berlin is a popular street food dish, similar to a gyro or shawarma, consisting of shaved meat (often veal or beef, sometimes with lamb fat, or chicken) from a vertical rotisserie, served in a triangular flatbread or pita with salad, vegetables, and sauces. It's a German adaptation of the Turkish döner kebab, with specific regional variations.
🥤 Berliner Weiße: A Berliner Weisse is a low-alcohol, sour wheat beer originating from Berlin. It's known for its tart, refreshing, and highly carbonated character. Traditionally, it's served with a shot of flavored syrup, like raspberry or woodruff, to balance the acidity.
📍🗺️ Maps, Apps & Links
🌐 Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Tour Rostock
🌐 Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Tour Berlin I
🌐 Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Tour Berlin II
🌐 Free Walking Tour Berlin III
🚕 Uber
🚕 Bolt