Warnemünde

Warnemünde sits where the Warnow meets the Baltic and grew from a fishing village into a bathing resort from around 1821, with a beach around three kilometres long and in places over a hundred and fifty metres wide, the widest on the German Baltic coast. The lighthouse of 1898, thirty-seven metres, is climbed for views over the beach and the harbour. The Alter Strom, the old channel, is lined with fishing cottages now holding restaurants and boats selling fish rolls direct from the deck. The cruise terminal takes large ships, so the village can fill suddenly when several are in port at once.

History

Founded in about 1200, Warnemünde was for centuries a small fishing village of little importance, and in 1323 the city of Rostock bought it to secure its access to the Baltic Sea. Only in the 19th century did it begin to grow into an important seaside resort (Wikipedia, Warnemünde).

What you'll find

• The wide beach - the broadest sand on the German Baltic coast.
• The 1898 lighthouse - a climbable tower at the harbour mouth.
• The Alter Strom - a channel of fishing cottages and boats selling fish.
• The cruise terminal - large ships berthing beside the village.

When to go

May to September; the beach is busy in July and August. Cruise arrivals fill the village unpredictably. Winter is cold with strong winds off the Baltic.

Practical notes

Cruise days overwhelm the small centre. The beach is crowded in high summer. Prices on the Alter Strom reflect the visitor trade.

Nearby

Rostock lies upriver; Bad Doberan is west.

Key facts