Live in Rostock/Warnemüde - happy to help you enjoy.

[Travelanni]

Hello! Is there anything of interest in the Warnemunde / Rostock area concerning World War II?

 

Hi, Rostock as very badly bombed in WWll and there are plenty of reminders of that time. A great many of the buildings are faithful copies of those which stood before 1939.

The worst raids were in April 1942, 4 raids over 5 nights which destroyed over 60% of the city ie. within the old medieval walls. It was a second Bomber Command trial of the effect of incendary bombs on closely packed, mostly timber framed buildings (the first trial was Luebeck in March 1942) The lessons learned from these two raids were used in the fire-bombing of Hamburg, Cologne, various other towns in the Rhur and ultimately, Dresden. The 1942 raids on Luebeck and Rostock gave rise to the term 'terror-fleiger' and convinced the National Socialist hierarchy that the Allies were deliberately destroying German heritage cities which led to the threat by Hitler to 'bomb every British town in the Baedecker Guide Book'

Rostock was home to both Arado and Heinkel factories. Heinkel were developing the world's first jet plane and the first test flight took place in Rostock in 1939.

There were other raids on Rostock by both the RAF and the Americans aimed at the aero factories and the Neptune Shipyards which built E-boats but production was not affected to a great extent.

Pictures of the city before and after the bombing can be found in various books and in the archives of the Historical Society in the Kroepeliner Tor.

 

The town of Ludwigslust, 2 hours away by train, was liberated by Gavin's 82nd US Airbourne Division and the unconditional surrender of the National Socialist forces east of the Elbe was accepted there. Nearby Gavin's men discovered a concentration camp where over 1000 prisoners were either dead or dying after being abandoned by their captors and created a memorial cemetery within the town which is still maintained with the support of the 82nd's veterans. Some 3500 prisoners survived.

 

I have quite a large collection of pictures, articles etc about WWll and the area. If you would like any more information (copies of pictures and articles etc) about the raids or the events in Ludwigslust please e-mail me.

aussieinrostock@gmail.com

Anni

Edited January 4, 2012 by rostocker

[Coolcruise02]

I have read this whole thread. Thanks for all the helpful info! We plan to take the train to Rostock. We will be visiting on a SUNDAY in July. Does this cause any problems? Do the trains run about the same or less trips? Will shops be open in Rostock and Warnemunde?

 

Thanks for any help!

[World Gallery]

Thanks for sharing Rostocker. We arrive in June. What do you are the best options for a mom with her 2 daugthers, ages 11 and 12? I have been researching way to much and can't seem to get it figured out. They are not huge history buffs at age 11 and 12 but would enjoy some history mixed in with other things. looking for something that won't require long drives and that I can figure out how to get to.

Thanks.

[Travelanni]

I have read this whole thread. Thanks for all the helpful info! We plan to take the train to Rostock. We will be visiting on a SUNDAY in July. Does this cause any problems? Do the trains run about the same or less trips? Will shops be open in Rostock and Warnemunde?

 

Thanks for any help!

 

Hi, glad my thread has been of help, thanks.

The train service on Sundays is the same, every 15mins in each direction. On Sundays (with the exception of a Sunday before a public holiday on Monday, about three times a year) the shops are closed in Rostock but open in Warnemuende. All restaurants, cafes, museums and places of interest are open in both centres. Most visitors like the quieter atmosphere of Rostock on Sunday, it gives more of the feel of an ancient town and of course it is much easier to walk around. Warnemuende is very busy on Sundays as it is (and always has been) a popular holiday destination for Germans. In addition hundreds of Berliners travel on the special trains to spend the day at the beach along with a large slice of the Rostock population.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

[Travelanni]

Thanks for sharing Rostocker. We arrive in June. What do you are the best options for a mom with her 2 daugthers, ages 11 and 12? I have been researching way to much and can't seem to get it figured out. They are not huge history buffs at age 11 and 12 but would enjoy some history mixed in with other things. looking for something that won't require long drives and that I can figure out how to get to.

Thanks.

 

Hi, first and foremost if the weather is good there is a wonderful, long, sandy beach in Warnemuende and all the usual attractions of a small seaside resort.

 

In Rostock the girls would probably enjoy the Cultural Museum, in particular the historical toy section. All the toys date from the 19th and early 20th century and were donated by Rostockers. The museum is located in a 14th century convent and some of the original rooms, including two nuns cells, have been restored.

There is a nice Zoo, only 15mins by tram from the centre (the ride is covered by your day ticket). It is set in an area of wood-land/forest and as well as the animals there are a lot of outdoor, experimental, interactive things for kids. (www.zoo-rostock.de/ - has an English page)

 

Another place which the youngsters enjoy is Karls Strawberry Farm. It is a sort of 'farm theme park' with attractions for both adults and kids, as well as a farmers market. (www.karls.de - in German only but lots of pictures). Unfortunately Karls is almost impossible to reach by public transport but it is only a 30 minute, easy drive from Warnemuende so a hire car or even a taxi would be an option especially if you found another family wanting to go and hired a mini-bus.

 

As I do not have children/grandchildren here my knowledge in this area is a bit limited but maybe other cruisers who have visited with children would like to share their experience.

 

Happy cruising :)

Anni

[SixOneTwo]

Thank you, Anni, for the information on local WWII history.

[EGCruisers]

Our family of 8 (6 adults, 2 small children) will be in Warnemunde in late May. Beyond Rostock and Warnemunde, which city would you suggest we visit? I have looked at some information about Wismar and Schwerin, but am having a hard time deciding which one might be more interesting. Is either one easier to get to via train? Is either one easier to see on foot once you get there? Would there be another city you would suggest? My daughter speaks fluent German, so we will not have difficulty with the language in terms of signs, etc.

[kwcrnp]

Anni-

 

First thank you for all of your help with this thread....it's amazing!

 

Second, I've looked back through and it appears you can order the Meckleburg Lander tickets before your arrival. To get the 9:07 train to Schwerin you also need a single ride ticket to Rostock. I've looked online but can't seem to figure out how to order the lander ticket. Is it on the DB Bahn website? How early can you order the tickets....maybe 90 days prior?? Then you can just get a single ticket from a ticket booth in Warnemunde for the ride to Rostock, correct? On the return trip the Lander ticket will work all the way to Warnemunde, correct?

 

Thank you in advance!!

[kayo kruiser]

Hi Anni

 

In late May, there will be 4 of us arriving on a Tuesday in Warnemunde and want to tour Berlin. We've looked at the organized tours and really don't want to use their itinerary, preferring instead to spend more time at fewer locations and do some inside tours. So ...

 

We'd like to rent a vehicle to drive ourselves from Warnemunde to Berlin. Then find a place to park and either do a hop-on hop-off bus or a walking/taxi tour.

 

We're comfortable with driving and navigating (having done this on our own in Italy and Greece) but have never been to Germany.

 

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

thanks so much

[beechfor]

Hi Anni

 

Our cruise stop in Warnemunde is 2 days. The first day we will do an organized tour into Berlin. For the second we were going to stay in the Warnemunde area and thought we would try to rent bicycles. Is this fairly easy to do? Are there shops close to the port and are there bike trails in the area? Thanks for any information that you can offer.

[Sauer-kraut]

Our family of 8 (6 adults, 2 small children) will be in Warnemunde in late May. Beyond Rostock and Warnemunde, which city would you suggest we visit? I have looked at some information about Wismar and Schwerin, but am having a hard time deciding which one might be more interesting. Is either one easier to get to via train? Is either one easier to see on foot once you get there? Would there be another city you would suggest? My daughter speaks fluent German, so we will not have difficulty with the language in terms of signs, etc.

 

Gosh, its difficult. Wismar is great, a nice place to walk around (cobblestone streets though, they did a number on my arthritic knee). Lots of churches, great fish sandwiches on the harbour and other things.

 

Schwerin has the castle and gardens and a 'village' for cafes etc.

 

Go to the library and look at various travel books and see what information they offer.

[Sauer-kraut]

Hi Anni

 

Our cruise stop in Warnemunde is 2 days. The first day we will do an organized tour into Berlin. For the second we were going to stay in the Warnemunde area and thought we would try to rent bicycles. Is this fairly easy to do? Are there shops close to the port and are there bike trails in the area? Thanks for any information that you can offer.

 

I can't answer your bike rental but Heinbloed has a great blog with pictures that will help with that question: http://heinbloed-cruiseguides.blogspot.com/2009/01/warnemunde-germany-bike-rental.html

 

As for Warnemunde, you walk through the train station when leaving the docks. Everything is really close together in Warnemunde. You come out of the station and there is the canal/river and all along the water are shops and cafes. If you continue to walk to the right you will come to the beach/lighthouse/casino. Its a really nice town and easy to walk around if you don't want to go cycling. Bring an umbella or cheapo rain poncho (just in case!)

[swin26]

Anni-

 

First thank you for all of your help with this thread....it's amazing!

 

Second, I've looked back through and it appears you can order the Meckleburg Lander tickets before your arrival. To get the 9:07 train to Schwerin you also need a single ride ticket to Rostock. I've looked online but can't seem to figure out how to order the lander ticket. Is it on the DB Bahn website? How early can you order the tickets....maybe 90 days prior?? Then you can just get a single ticket from a ticket booth in Warnemunde for the ride to Rostock, correct? On the return trip the Lander ticket will work all the way to Warnemunde, correct?

 

Thank you in advance!!

 

Kristi, I can't figure it out either. I was trying to figure out how to buy tickets from Kiel to Lubeck. Perhaps it is a Pittsburgh thing - we are also from the Burg. Too bad about the early end to the Steelers season!!

[Travelanni]

Our family of 8 (6 adults, 2 small children) will be in Warnemunde in late May. Beyond Rostock and Warnemunde, which city would you suggest we visit? I have looked at some information about Wismar and Schwerin, but am having a hard time deciding which one might be more interesting. Is either one easier to get to via train? Is either one easier to see on foot once you get there? Would there be another city you would suggest? My daughter speaks fluent German, so we will not have difficulty with the language in terms of signs, etc.

 

Hi.

Sauer Kraut is right, a difficult choice. The main difference is the ease of travel. The trip from Rostock to either by train is about the same, 1 hour, but the Wismar trains run every hour whilst the Schwerin trains only run every two hours. A Mecklenburger ticket is the way to go for both destinations. Please see my separate post for prices and directions for how to buy on line.

There is really nothing in either town for children so I would definitely allow time for a romp on the beach in Warnemuende at the end of the day.

Happy cruising, :).

[Travelanni]

Hi Anni

 

Our cruise stop in Warnemunde is 2 days. The first day we will do an organized tour into Berlin. For the second we were going to stay in the Warnemunde area and thought we would try to rent bicycles. Is this fairly easy to do? Are there shops close to the port and are there bike trails in the area? Thanks for any information that you can offer.

 

Hi,

There are two bicycle hire places close to the ships in Warnemuende. (or at least there were last year)

The first is on the railway station itself. Walk through the underpass, just past the newsagents on your right turn right and you will see the bikes.

The other one is in the building on the quay between the two berths, to the left of the main terminal building.

There are others in the town itself which is only a five minute walk from the ship.

There are plenty of bike tracks in the area. Part of the European Cycle Track goes along the coastal cliffs between Warnemuende and Kuehlungsborn, about a two hour ride taking in Heilingendam. It is also possible to ride into Rostock mostly on dedicated cycle tracks.

Happy cruising, :).

[Travelanni]

Anni-

 

First thank you for all of your help with this thread....it's amazing!

 

Second, I've looked back through and it appears you can order the Meckleburg Lander tickets before your arrival. To get the 9:07 train to Schwerin you also need a single ride ticket to Rostock. I've looked online but can't seem to figure out how to order the lander ticket. Is it on the DB Bahn website? How early can you order the tickets....maybe 90 days prior?? Then you can just get a single ticket from a ticket booth in Warnemunde for the ride to Rostock, correct? On the return trip the Lander ticket will work all the way to Warnemunde, correct?

 

Thank you in advance!!

 

 

Hi, sorry for the delay but I have had computer problems, oh the wonder of modern technology!

Congratulations, you have all the facts correct. I'm glad that my explanations from last year were understood.

Here is how to get your Lander ticket on-line:

 

1. Open http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

2. Choose 'OFFERS' in the top bar.

3. Choose 'Regional Tickets within Germany' > 'Lander Tickets'

> Book your ticket here

Select 'single ride'

Fill in the departure station Rostock Hbf (Rostock Main Station)

Fill in any destination in Mecklenburg (ie. Schwerin,Wismar etc, you can also choose either Hamburg or Luebeck if that is where you wish to go, the destination does not matter as you will see later ) if the drop menu gives several stations for that town choose Hbf.

Fill in date ticket is required, time of departure 9am (this does not matter but it will not let you continue without a time!)

Enter number of travellers (up to five on one ticket)

Leave all other choices as is.

When selection of trains appears choose >purchase in Savings fares column.

4. Choose Mecklenburg-Vorpommern-Ticket. (Note that it says - 'Valid Mon-Fri as from 09:00 h, as from 0:00 h on Sat, Sun and public holidays. Valid for unlimited number of journeys on day of validity, regardless of connection shown'.)

Follow the prompts to buy and print out your ticket.

 

This also works for the ticket from Keil to Luebeck although in step 4. you will choose the Schleswig-Holstein ticket.

Lander tickets are always available, they are not limited like other offers, so I would wait awhile before buying as the new price structure usually comes out around March. I will post the new prices as soon as they are available.

 

Steps 1 and 2 above will give all the information on the various types of tickets available for the whole of Germany.

 

Several people told me they were successful in buying on-line using these instructions last year, hope you are successful too.

Happy cruising,:)

Anni

[Travelanni]

Hi Anni

 

In late May, there will be 4 of us arriving on a Tuesday in Warnemunde and want to tour Berlin. We've looked at the organized tours and really don't want to use their itinerary, preferring instead to spend more time at fewer locations and do some inside tours. So ...

 

We'd like to rent a vehicle to drive ourselves from Warnemunde to Berlin. Then find a place to park and either do a hop-on hop-off bus or a walking/taxi tour.

 

We're comfortable with driving and navigating (having done this on our own in Italy and Greece) but have never been to Germany.

 

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Hi, As you are comfortable with driving to Berlin car-rental is the way to go. The drive from Warnemuende to that city is very easy, the approaches to the city are extremely well signed and there are good parking facilities. If you choose not to drive into the city 'pay and display' parking can be found at most s-bahn stations in the suburbs and the s-bahn service is fast and frequent. There is a very good (huge) car park near to the Hauptbahnhof (main station) from where you can catch a HOHO bus direct, use public transport or take an easy 15min walk through the new government district around the Reichstag to the Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden before catching a HOHO there.

Happy cruising :)

 

[kayo kruiser]

thanks so much for your quick reply!

[kwcrnp]

Thank you Anni for the step by step instructions! I'll wait till spring to get them. Your thread had been so helpful!

 

Sent from my DROID using Tapatalk

[EGCruisers]

Thank you both for your responses about Schwerin and Wismar. Sounds like we can't make a mistake no matter which one we choose.

With 6 adults, a Lander ticket won't cover all of us. I understand that we can buy a group ticket for 6 people. I looked at the DB website but I wasn't able to find a way to buy a group ticket. Do I have to wait to get there and do it at the train station or is there a way of purchasing it online? Thank you!

[Travelanni]

Thank you both for your responses about Schwerin and Wismar. Sounds like we can't make a mistake no matter which one we choose.

With 6 adults, a Lander ticket won't cover all of us. I understand that we can buy a group ticket for 6 people. I looked at the DB website but I wasn't able to find a way to buy a group ticket. Do I have to wait to get there and do it at the train station or is there a way of purchasing it online? Thank you!

 

Hi, information for group travel is very sparse as it can only be done through a DB office, an agent or by mail. You must book well in advance as numbers are limited and pay a deposit + seat reservation @ 2 euros per person per train. The children, if over 5 years of age, must also be counted. Group tickets are probably only worth it for larger groups over long distances.

This being the case it is probably cheaper to buy Lander tickets for a short journey, day trip.

The cheapest way to divide your party for Mecklenburg Lander Tickets (new prices) would be :-

1 ticket for 4 persons = 30 euros

1 ticket for 2 adults and 2 children = 24 euros (children with parents travel free)

Please see my previous post on how to buy on-line.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Edited January 18, 2012 by rostocker

[Travelanni]

Hi everyone, as promised here are the new ticket prices for both Lander Tickets and local transport in 2012

 

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern-Ticket (Mecklenburg-West-Pommerania-Ticket)

This ticket is valid from Monday to Sunday for one day of your choice from 9 a.m. until 3 a.m. of the following day on Saturday, Sundays and bank holidays from 0 until 3 a.m the following day. It can be used on all local trains (Regional-Express, Regionalbahn, S-Bahn)

 

-1 person : EUR 21.00

-2 people : EUR 24.00

-3 people : EUR 27.00

-4 people : EUR 30.00

-5 people : EUR 33.00

 

 

Local Transport - Warnemuende/Rostock

 

Single ticket 1,80 €

The single ticket is the standard ticket if you travel only once.

Spend Euro 1,80 and you make one journey anywhere in Rostock

• by tram
  
• by bus
  
• by suburban train and
  
• by ferry (cross-river only eg Warnemuende - Hohe Dune. Does NOT include boat trip Warnemuende to Rostock. This is a private tour boat)
  

 

NB Warnemuende to Rostock CBD (train + tram) counts as one journey, only one ticket required. For return please buy a new ticket.

 

If you intend to make more than three journeys in a day we recommend the day ticket.

 

 

Day ticket 4,60 €

Criss cross through Rostock with a day ticket

Spend Euro 4.60 once - get on and off as often as you like.

Getting everywhere in Rostock all day long:

 

• by tram
  
• by bus
  
• by suburban train and
  
• by ferry (cross-river only eg Warnemuende - Hohe Dune. Does NOT include boat trip Warnemuende to Rostock. This is a private tour boat)
  

Group Day Ticket 13,80 €

Up to five people can travel as a group. Spend Euro 13.80 once - get on and off as often as you like. (only savings for 4 or 5)

 

Local Transport - Rostock Area

Bad Doberan (home of the Molli Train), 7,80 € return (train and/or bus)

Guestrow (Castle, Barlach sculptures and Nativity Crib Museum) 6,40 € return (direct train from Warnemuende)

 

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

Edited January 18, 2012 by rostocker
Error in price

[Travelanni]

Guestrow (Castle, Barlach sculptures and Nativity Crib Museum) 6,40 € return (direct train from Warnemuende)

 

Anni

 

Hi, re my previous post, the ticket price for Guestrow should read

 

Guestrow (Castle, Barlach sculptures and Nativity Crib Museum) 12,40 € return (direct train from Warnemuende)

 

:mad: No excuse but I was always lousy at maths, please accept my apologies.

 

You will note that at this price it would be better for 2 or more people to buy a Lander ticket covering the whole day and multiple journeys.

Anni

[rnbtr]

HI

My husband and I are on a curise this coming July. We would like to spend the day in

Warnemuende Can you please give us some highlights of were to visit ?

[Travelanni]

HI

My husband and I are on a curise this coming July. We would like to spend the day in

Warnemuende Can you please give us some highlights of were to visit ?

 

Hi, The small town of Warnemünde is actually a seaside suburb of the City of Rostock. The ships berth literally in the town, 10 mins walk to the main street.

Although it is a fascinating little place it would probably not take up a whole day. It has quaint old back streets, modern sea-front promenade with all the usual tourist facilities, wide sandy beach, fish market right alongside the boats, good restaurants and bars. Be sure to fit in a stroll, especially in the evening, even if you go further afield first.

Rostock City has a lot of interesting history, architecture from medieval to 21st century, old churches, a museum housed in a 14th century convent, pleasant pedestrian precincts, excellent restaurants and good but limited shopping. Trains depart Warnemünde every 15 mins and arrive Rostock Central station 20 mins later. From there trams run every few minutes for the 5min journey to the CBD (all one journey, only one ticket required).

Unfortunately our official tourist internet site is in German only but the local transport site has English pages and information on the places of interest in both the City and Warnemünde

 

http://www.rsag-online.com/

 

It may come up in German but just hit the Union Jack at the top for the excellent English version.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Edited January 22, 2012 by rostocker