Mediterranean Riviera? Delightful. Croatian Riviera? Glorious. To the Brits, even the English Riviera (that’s down on the south west coast, in Devon), is a joy to spend a summer in. But there’s not many who would leap at the chance to visit the German Riviera, on the Baltic coast of Germany, because let’s face it: the ‘German Riviera’ has less of a ring to it than, well, just about any other riviera in existence. And I’m telling you now folks, Warnemünde may not be glamorous, but it is quaint, and well worth a visit.
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Where is Warnemünde?
Warnemünde is on the north coast of Germany, in the Mecklenberg region. (Although you’ll also hear this part of the country referred to as Ostsee, which translates to the Baltic Sea.) This northern stretch of coastline, like many other coastal areas in Northern Europe- check out beautiful Ijmuiden, in the Netherlands- is characterised by windswept sandy beaches and pretty resort towns. Warnemünde itself sits at the mouth of the river Warnow, looking out to the busy shipping lanes of the Baltic Sea, filled with container vessels, tankers and cruise ships.
And to get technical about it, Warnemünde is actually a seaside suburb of the city of Rostock- which is a quiet but very pretty city, whose centre is filled with gothic architecture and houses with pastel facades. It takes about twenty minutes to get from Warnemünde to Rostock by train, if you fancy a mooch around the historic old town.
How to get to Warnemünde
The majority of visitors to Warnemünde (at least, the non-German visitors), arrive by cruise ship. The city is home to Germany’s largest cruise port, so it’s a common stopping point on Baltic Sea cruises.
But if you’re travelling to Warnemünde from within Germany, the best way to travel is by train, using good old Deutsche Bahn. (And I’d recommend downloading DB’s app if you’re travelling extensively throughout Germany; it’s the easiest way to see the cheapest options for rail travel.) Warnemünde is worlds apart from Berlin’s urban grandeur, but only about two hours away by train. And it’ll take about an hour and 50 minutes to travel by train from Hamburg to Warnemünde; the two port cities have completely different vibes. Warnemünde is like Hamburg’s genteel aunt, but genteel aunts are lovely, aren’t they? Both cities are extremely proud of their nautical heritage.
Warnemünde train station is in a super convenient location, with the cruise port on one side, and the canal on the other. It couldn’t be easier to be environmentally friendly, folks!
What to see and do in Warnemünde
To the non-German cruise passenger, it might seem like the logical thing to do in Warnemünde is hop on an excursion to Berlin. But is two hours each way on a bus really worth it? I think not. There are plenty of things to see and do in this lovely little beach town.
The windswept beach
It goes without saying that most people visit Warnemünde for the beach. Who wouldn’t?
Warnemünde’s wide stretch of white sand is over 3km in length, and is a hugely popular place throughout the summer months. (Although I’m sure people aren’t averse to a midwinter stroll to clear away the cobwebs, either.) Sand dunes flecked with tall green grass provide a barrier between the beach and the town, wooden boardwalks weaving through them. The beach tends to be busier near the Teepott Restaurant, with crowds thinning out the further away you get in the direction of the Hotel Neptun and the beautiful beach houses.
The weather can get super warm throughout summer, but I’ve never been brave enough to actually swim in the Baltic Sea. I’m the type of gal whose lips go blue even after ten minutes in the Caribbean, so it’s probably for the best; but plenty of braver (and warmer) folks, jump right in.
On a sunny day I also loved getting a few picnic foods from the local Edeka, plus a punnet of strawberries from the Karl’s Strawberry stand near the train station, and heading to the beach for a picnic. (There are plenty of Karl’s strawberry stands around this part of Germany, which look like giant plastic strawberries with a little window in the middle. This family business is a big deal and has grown so much in the last hundred years that there’s now a strawberry-themed theme park nearby.)
Those beautiful chairs
These chairs belong in a Wes Anderson film, and I absolutely love them. Huge cushioned wicker chairs with a shade over the top, which don’t look too dissimilar to the shade on a dolls pram. These cocoon-like creations usually seat two, and have footrests which pull out like drawers underneath the seats. And what are they actually called, I hear you ask.
Strandkorb.
Brilliant. Maybe you’ve seen these big wicker beach chairs before; I’ve definitely spotted them on beaches in the Netherlands and Italy. But the strandkorb was invented in Rostock by a basket weaver in 1882. A year later, the basket-maker’s wife opened a chair rental shop next to the lighthouse on Warnemünde Strand, and the rest is history. These chairs are now synonymous with the German riviera, and can probably withstand some far stronger gusts of wind than your average deckchair.
Here’s a location in Germany which really was used in a Wes Anderson classic.
Lighthouses galore
Every port town needs at least one lighthouse to serve as a beacon to passing ships, and Warnemünde’s is probably the town’s most well-known landmark.
You can’t miss the beautiful old tower at the beginning of the beach with it’s green copper dome housing the lamp. It’s been in use since 1898, although these days there’s no lighthouse-keeper. Visitors can climb the spiral staircase to get a view of the town plus a free extra-windswept hairdo.
(Did I mention it can get windy here?)
Alter Strom
Alter Strom is the name of the canal that runs through Warnemünde and the central stretch tends to be bustling on both sides, with tourists, locals, and a sizeable crowd of seagulls with their beady eyes peeled for food. Lining the promenade are restaurants, bars, gift shops and boutiques. The boutiques are more suited to the older visitors, FYI, but anyone and everyone is sure to want a bite to eat in the sunshine. There’s plenty of German restaurants along the canal to sample seafood and schnitzel at.
Small sailing boats are moored along the canal, as well as bigger boats selling fresh fish sandwiches, currywürst and beer. If you do get a fischbrötchen, or an ice cream, or basically anything edible, defend it at all costs. The seagulls are seasoned pros at food-mugging.
Fishermen’s houses
Warnemünde began life as a fishing village, and its cobbled old town streets are home to some of the prettiest little cottages I’ve seen in all of Germany. Back in the day these were home to all the sailors and fishermen who worked out of Warnemünde. There may well be a few fishermen living here today, but luckily the cottages aren’t exclusive to salty seadogs.
Summertime is definitely the best time to stroll through the old town, as most of these beautiful houses are blooming with flowers and look as if they’re straight out of a fairy tale.
Edvard Munch was here
The Scream is one of the western world’s most famous paintings- it’s the terrifying one which looks like a man is impressionistically having a meltdown on a bridge, in case your memory needs jogging.
Edvard Munch, the painting’s creator, was a famous Norwegian artist who lived in Warnemünde from May 1907 until October 1908. The turquoise and white house at number 53 Am Strom had previously been home to a pilot (of the harbour kind) and his wife, and Munch came to stay there to calm his nerves and have a bit of a de-stress. The sea air calmed his nerves, but not for long, and after eighteen months the painter checked into a sanatorium in Copenhagen.
Although more people lived in the house after Edvard Munch’s time there, eventually it became an exhibition space, and a centre for artists mostly from Germany and Norway. Artists can have a temporary residence at the Munch house, living in the apartments and working in the studios. Which is a pretty cool legacy, I reckon.
My favourite places to eat and drink in Warnemünde
Obviously, there’s no shortage of German restaurants; it is a German town after all. Try Zum Stromer for some fancy seafood dishes (beware the prices are on the higher side.)
For a delectable selection of frozen yoghurt- with toppings galore- head to Fröhlich. The line to choose from the seemingly infinite number of toppings, can get lengthy on a hot summer day, but that’s testament to the pots of deliciousness that Fröhlich serves up. Choose from frozen yogurt, quark, or ‘pudding.’ (Whatever ‘pudding’ is; personally I stick to a traditional fro-yo, but don’t let that stop you from branching out.
The best place to get coffee in Warnemünde is, hands-down, Mahlwerk Coffee. Not only is the coffee decent, but Mahlwerk Coffee sells a whole load of breakfast items as well as cakey options On top of that, the staff are friendly and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with a cute little seating area outside the front of the shop.
I think my bf and I must have eaten approximately twenty pizzas at Paparazzi over the several months we spent docking at Warnemünde cruise port. Partly because we were on a Norwegian fjords cruise– and eating pizza in a German port will not bankrupt a gal, compared to a Norwegian one- and more importantly because the pizza here was so outrageously great. Sit outside next to the canal- it’s a bit of a sun trap.
Warnemünde is the ideal place to visit on Germany’s Baltic coast, especially if you’ve been sticking to cities and need a quick blast of salty sea air. You won’t need more than a couple of days to visit, but its close proximity to bigger cities makes it an easy option for a quick getaway.
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