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.

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.

• 54.0880412.135171 Tourist Information City Center, Universitätsplatz 6 (Barocksaal), ☏ +49 381 3812222, touristinfo@rostock.de. May-Oct: M-F 10:00-18:00, Sa Su 10:00-15:00; Nov-Apr: M-F 10:00-17:00, Sa 10:00-15:00, Su closed. (updated Jul 2018)

• 54.181912.08181 Warnemünde beach. Visit the sandy 3-km beach at Warnemünde in the north. Go swimming there, if the weather is warm enough. 
• 54.09055612.1480562 Petrikirche (St. Peter's Church). Open from 10:00, closing time depends on the season (16:00 in winter, 18:00 May - Sep - consult website if unsure). Petrikirche boasts the tallest tower of the three remaining churches within the old town. The church itself can be visited for free (open daily, mind the Sunday service 11:00-12:00), but there is a small admission fee for the tower (€3, €2 reduced fee, family ticket €6). Climbing the steep spiral stairs is fun and a good exercise! There is also a barrier-free option: the parish has had the original bell shaft replaced by a lift which brings you up to the lower of the 2 platforms. Both offer good views over town, river and harbour. Many guided tours of Rostock also start in front of the church. The parish has installed what is probably the only free public toilet in the old town (although it might be a nice idea to put some coins into the collection column inside the church), also barrier-free and accessible from the outside, to the left of the main entrance.  
• 54.07790112.0870543 Zoo, 18059 Rostock, Barnstorfer Ring.  
• 54.181412.08584 Warnemünde Lighthouse (near the beach promenade). Built in 1897 and still in use. The view from the high tower provides an impressive view of the Baltic Sea and nearby Rostock region.  
• 54.181712.08565 The Teapot (Teepott). Another famous landmark of the Warnemünde beach. It has a curved roof and is an interesting example of East German architecture.  
• The Alter Strom canal area in Warnemünde boasts restaurants, pubs, and a fish market.
• 54.08954712.13866 St. Mary's Church Rostock (Marienkirche). The greatest church of Rostock, a huge brick Gothic church, built from the 13th-15th century with an astronomical clock of 1472 and fine historical altars. (updated Jan 2019)
• 54.15943711.9396717 Gespensterwald (Ghost Forest of Nienhagen). An eerie seaside forest near Nienhagen.  

• 54.077512.12581 Stadthalle Rostock. The Stadthalle Rostock has many shows and music events.  
• 54.084912.09512 Hansa Rostock, Ostseestadion, Kopernikusstraße. They were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in 3. Liga, the third tier. The stadium has a capacity of 29,000. (updated Jun 2024)
• KTV. The Kröpeliner-Tor-Vorstadt (KTV, "Kröpelin Gate Suburb") was the first part of Rostock built outside the medieval city walls, in the 2nd half of the 19th century. It was designed to house workers flocking to the newly industrialised town. Today's KTV is one of the most popular residential areas, especially with students and artists. It is here that you will find the highest density of bars, cafes and small shops selling handicraft or organic food. To get to KTV from Rostock's main shopping street (Kröpeliner Straße), follow it all the way to the west, passing Kröpelin Gate and crossing the tram lines. Everything in front of you now is already part of KTV. Check out the Doberaner Platz, where most tram lines stop, where the best Döner Kebab is sold, and where everyone seems to meet before a pub crawl with friends. 
• Harbour cruise on the Warnow river. 
• Stadtmauer (city walls). While much of Rostock's fortifications were removed on the "sea"side (towards the river Warnow), a large part of the city wall remains on the "land" side and is certainly worth a visit. You will encounter the three remaining gates, Kröpeliner Tor, Steintor (stone gate) and the oldest, Kuhtor (cow gate). Guided tours (some of them by a guide dressed up as a medieval night-watchman) are available and recommended for anyone interested in the history of the town. They can be booked under the stated link or in the tourist office. For the "night-watchman" tour, it is also possible to simply turn up at Petrikirche at 20:00 if you're not with a large group, but the tour will then be in German only. 
• Watch the sunset in the harbour. Take some drinks and food down and watch time pass by - as well as sailing boats, rowing boats, and plenty of seagulls. If it's herring season, the quay at the Silos will be full of fishermen. If you're not into bring-your-own, there is a number of restaurants and bars along the quay, from German, Italian and Greek to Spanish cuisine. The Irish Pub is also in the Silos. Between the theatre and Latino bar "Besitos", you will find plenty of young people playing "Kubb", at least during summer. Why not try it out yourself? If you ask nicely, you are sure to be allowed a shot. Or buy your own wooden kit at the games store "Wupatki", Rungestraße 17. This part of the harbour is usually called "Strand" (beach) by locals, even if there is no sand within sight. 

• 54.08813312.1333732 University of Rostock. One of the world's oldest universities, founded in 1419.  

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.

• Markets. There are several markets throughout the week in Rostock and the surrounding area. (updated Jul 2018)

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).

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.

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.

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

Hamburg ← Wismar ←

W  E

→ Greifswald → Rugia

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