Rostock Sights

  1. Brunnen der Lebensfreude

    At the centre of the mall is Universitätsplatz, positively swarming with people year-round, and its centrepiece, the crazy rococo Brunnen der Lebensfreude.

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  2. Cultural History Museum

    At the southwestern end of Universitätsplatz is the Kloster Zum Heiligen Kreuz, a convent established in 1270 by Queen Margrethe of Denmark. Today it houses the Cultural History Museum, with an interesting collection including Victorian furniture and a few sculptures by Ernst Barlach.

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  3. Five-Gables Houses

    At the northern side of Universitätsplatz are the Five-Gables Houses, modern interpretations of the residences that lined the square before WWII.

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  4. Hauptgebäude

    True to its name, Universitätsplatz is lined with university buildings, including the handsome terracotta 1866-70 Hauptgebäude, which replaced the famous 'White College'.

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  5. Kröpeliner Strasse

    Kröpeliner Strasse, a broad, lively, cobblestone pedestrian mall lined with 15th- and 16th-century burghers' houses, runs from Neuer Markt west to Kröpeliner Tor.

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  6. Kröpeliner Tor

    Today only two of 32 gates, plus a small brick section, remain of the old city wall. The 55m-high Kröpeliner Tor stands at the western end of Kröpeliner Strasse. From here, you can follow the Wallanlagen (city walls) through the pleasant park to Wallstrasse and the other surviving gate, the Steintor.

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  7. Marienkirche

    Central Rostock's pride and joy is the 13th-century Marienkirche. It features a 12m-high astrological clock (1470-72), which locals optimistically compare to the more famous example in Prague's Old Town Square.

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  8. Neuer Markt

    Just around the corner from the Marienkirche is this open square, dominated by the splendid and rather pink 13th-century Rathaus. Opposite the Rathaus is a lovely series of restored gabled houses and a stylised, sea-themed fountain (2001) by artist Waldemar Otto. The explanatory plaque says the four figures are Neptune and his sons, although locals seem to think they represent the four elements.

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  9. Petrikirche

    The Gothic Petrikirche has a 117m-high steeple - a mariner's landmark for centuries - that was restored in 1994, having been missing since WWII. You can climb the steps or take the lift up to the viewing platform.

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  10. Rathaus

    The splendid and rather pink 13th-century Rathaus dominates Neuer Markt. The building's baroque façade was added in 1727 after the original brick Gothic structure collapsed.

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  12. Rostock's University

    The university is the oldest on the Baltic (founded 1419), and currently has about 11,000 students.

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  13. Schifffahrtsmuseum

    Rostock's Ship Museum has been relocated to the shores of the park that hosted the International Garden Exhibition in 2003, on the northwest riverbank. On board, there's a rundown on shipping from the Hanseatic period to today, plus the chance to play captain and other hands-on activities. Take the S-Bahn to Lütten Klein and then bus 31 or 35 to IGA Park.

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  14. Warnemünde Beach

    The jewel in Warnemünde's crown is its long, wide expanse of startlingly white beach. Even the butt-ugly concrete block that's the Hotel Neptun can't spoil it, while the mollusc-shaped Teepott building (think the TWA terminal at New York's JFK airport) and 19th-century lighthouse positively add to its quirky appeal. Warnemünde is all about sunbathing, promenading, eating fish and sipping cocktails on the beach. Sundown, when the crowds have abated slightly, is a memorable time to be here.

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