Warnemunde & Rostock Germany

Summer 2005

A day in Warnemunde & Rostock Germany

Frommers on Rostock: 

Rostock Tourism Site:

Rostock Climate

July & August daytime highs range between 70F and 76F, low’s range from 56F – 60F. Average precipitation for the month of July is 71mm, August is 58mm.

What to Bring

A sweater & raincoat or umbrella.

Layered clothing

Sun Block

Shoes or boots to combat cobblestones and sidewalks.

Mosquito repellent & antihistamine cream for bites.

telephone services

Calls to Germany: The country code for Germany is 49.  The city code for both Warnemunde and Rostock is 381.

Calls from Germany: Dial 00; wait for the tone, then the country code, area/city code and number. (US country code is 1)

Emergency: Fire – 112, Police – 110, Ambulance – 112

US Embassy & Tourist Board

US Embassy Germany

Neustadtische Kirchstr. 4-5

10117 Berlin, Germany

Phone:  49 (0 30) 8305-0

Rostock Tourist Info Center

3 Neur Markt

D-18055 Rostock, Germany

Phone:  49 (3 81) 22.22

Fax:  49 (3 81) 26.01

Credit Cards, Currency & Exchange: 

The national currency of Germany is called the Euro. The Euro is abbreviated EUR. The smaller unit is called the Cent; 1 Euro = 100 Cents.

One US Dollar is less than one Euro and currently (6/23/05) is a value of 0 .83 Euro Cents.

Foreign currencies can be easily exchanged at ATM’s, banks and exchange offices. Visas, MasterCard & American Express are accepted in major hotels, restaurants and shops, ask first.

TAP WATER is CLEAN !

Population & Languages

Rostock ’s population, based on 2002 statistics was 202,000 people. German is the national language.

Food & tipping

If a restaurant bill says “Bedienug” the service has been included. Round the bill up to the nearest Euro or simply leave your change.

If “bedienug” has not been added, it is common, to tip waiters 10 - 15% of the bill.

For taxi drivers round up to the nearest Euro.

25 to 50 Euro Cents for toilet attendants.

Shopping & Bargaining

Traditional items are KPM, Rosenthal & Meissen porcelain goods, toys from Nurnberg, woodcarvings from the Bavarian Alps, Black Forest cuckoo clocks & J.A Henckels cutlery. Priced in Euros, these are not in the bargain basement category and can probably be found in the US for less.

Bargaining is not customary unless you are in a flea market.

The VAT (value added tax) in German, “Mehrwertsteuer,” is in the price of the goods you purchase and can be as much as 16%. The VAT can be refunded if you purchase more than 30 EUR in goods. Request a “Global Refund Check.” Shops that display a” Tax Free” shopping sign have the necessary paperwork, other shops may not.

The check must be validated at an international refund point found at international airports and harbor terminals. Have your check stamped by the German Customs Service then proceed to the Tax-Free Shopping Service offices found in major airports, many train stations and some larger ferry terminals. Otherwise, send the checks to:

Tax-Free Shopping Service, Mengstrasse 19, D-23552 Lübeck, Germany.

public toilets

Do not ask for a bathroom – use the word toilet. The letter H for Herren marks the men’s toilet and the letter F for Frauen marks the women’s. There are few public toilets. Use toilets in restaurants or bars, but be sure to purchase something, as they are for customers only. Carry a few Euro coins for the attendant.

Carry your own Kleenex .

Tidbits

Warnemunde is a fishing village and beach town.  The beach is as wide as a football field is long.

A beach marked FKK stands for “freie korperkultur – free body culture.  In English – “nude.”

It takes roughly three minutes to walk from the boat landing in Warnemunde, under the railway station, to the town center.  Cross the footbridge over the Alter Strom (the old channel lined with fishing boats) a right turn directs you to the beach and shops, a left takes you to the village and houses.

The 5 star Neptune Hotel on the beach at Warnemuende was a former East German Nazi Communist hang out with many of its workers hailing from the days before re-unification.

Warnemunde is 6 miles NW of Rostock.  You can travel by city-train and tram from Warnemuende to Rostock.  The train station is not far from the cruise port (5 minutes walking distance).  The price for a day ticket is 3 EUR allowing you the use of all public transportation (bus, city-train & tram) within Warnemuende and Rostock.  The day pass makes good sense, one way tickets cost 1.50 EUR.  Trains are every 15 minutes for the 20 minute ride. 

Boats go from Warnemuende to Rostock, on the shoreline and Warnow River; a 45 minute trip, for sightseeing-tours, and do not have a timetable.  For this reason it is recommended that if you’d like to see the shoreline, travel to Rostock by boat and return on scheduled transportation from Rostock. 

Rostock has a wonderful old town full of medieval and renaissance architecture and some of the original city wall still remains.

The Kropeliner-Strasse in Rostock is a walk street for pedestrians only, and is lined with restaurants & shops in restored buildings constructed between 1500 and 1850.  This street runs parallel to Rostock’s main street called Lange Strasse.

During WW II the monuments and houses of Rostock, lining Lange Strasse were demolished.  Some of these historic buildings were restored from nothing more than rubble.

Rostock is a university town and its university, founded in 1419 is the oldest in Northern Europe.

Rostock is 175 miles NE of Berlin.