Top Rated Tourist Attractions in Rostock

The history of the most important German port in the Baltic has been turbulent. This prosperous Hanseatic town had established trade links with distant ports such as Bergen (Norway), Riga (Latvia) and Bruges (Belgium) as early as the 15th century.

In 1419 the first university in northern Europe was founded here, and it flourished again in the 19th century. After it suffered heavy damage in the Allied air raids of 1942, Rostock was rebuilt on a grand scale as the GDR’s showpiece.

Exploring Rostock

A visit to the town is best started from the Neuer Markt (new market), from where the most important monuments can easily be reached on foot.

Rathaus

The town hall, on Neuer Markt, has a Baroque facade (added in 1727–9), from which seven Gothic towers of the original building emerge. At the rear of the building, in Grobe Wasserstrabe, it is worth seeking out Kerkoffhaus, the best preserved Gothic house in Rostock with a splendidly ornate facade featuring glazed brickwork, dating from 1470.

Steintor

A few minutes south of Neuer Markt is the Steintor, the best known of the gates in the old city wall. One of only three surviving gates of the original fortifications (at one time with 22 gates), it received its characteristic crowning feature during the Renaissance.

Marienkirche

This church, meant to exceed the height of its Lubeck counterpart, was completed in the mid-15th century, after almost 250 years of construction.

The nave, built after the original roof had collapsed, has an untypical, short body, while the massive western tower is as wide as three naves. Interconnected swathes of glazing decorate the exterior of the church, while much of the whitewashed interior features star vaulting. The main attraction is the astronomical clock, constructed in 1472 by maestro Duringer of Nuremberg. Its mechanism will show the correct time and date until 2017. Every afternoon its clockwork apostles parade before the tourists.

Kröpelinerstraße

The most popular street in the city is lined by houses from the 17th to the 19th centuries. In summer students congregate around the “Brunnen der Lebensfreude” (fountain of happiness) on the Universitatsplatz (university square).

The main university building was built in the years 1867–70 in Neo-Renaissance style. The southern part of the square is occupied by a palace with a beautiful Baroque hall where concerts are performed. A Neo-Classical annexe with a Doric colonnade (1823) stands nearby. A statue on the square commemorates the town’s most famous resident, Field Marshal Bl・her, who helped defeat Napoleon at Waterloo.

Environs

Between Rostock and Stralsund lies a delightful coastal area. The peninsula, with the three former islands of Fischland, Darß and Zingst, attracts visitors to its quiet, beautiful beaches and splendid natural scenery. Particularly attractive are the villages of Ahrenshoop, which was originally an artists’ colony, Prerow, which has traditional fishermen’s houses and churches, and Wieck, with its charming thatched houses. A national park has been established here, and includes Darß and its magnificent forest, Zingst, the west coast of R・en and the island of Hiddensee.