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TIPS FOR VISITING WARNEMÜNDE
Located just 15km from Rostock city centre, visitors can get out of the city and head to Warnemünde, where than can enjoy its white, sandy beaches and the whoosing sound of the waves. Enjoy the view of the unique coastline from the Warnemünde lighthouse which stands at 36 metres tall. The kilometre-long beach is perfect for sunbathing and beach and watersports. Alongside fishing boats, which sell freshly-caught fish along the Alten Strom, you will come across passenger quays for international cruise ships. Large-scale maritime events, like Warnemünder Week and the Hanse Sail festival, are annual highlights that are absolutely not to be missed. And if you want to find somewhere quiet to get away from it all, Rostock Heath offers a calm natural space and the ancient coastal forest to the east of Warnemünde, located in the district of Markgrafenheide, is the perfect location for a walk or a bike ride.
WARNEMÜNDE LIGHTHOUSE
When the merchant fleet was created many years ago, the port in Warnemünde needed to be better organised. So in 1836, a guiding light was built. The guiding light consisted of an iron frame which held a mirror and a lantern with a petroleum light that hung freely in the tower. As the port facilities grew, a proposal was submitted to convert the port light into a fixed lighthouse. Between 1897 and 1898 the lighthouse as we see it today was built. The light in the lighthouse was first operated with petroleum which had to be pumped up from the cellar. In 1917, it switched to gas and since 1927, the lantern with the domed copper roof has been operated with an electric light.
VIEW OVER WARNEMÜNDE
The white, glazed brick lighthouse stands at 30.60 meters tall. The lighthouse galleries offer breathtaking views of Warnemünde, the Baltic Sea, the beach and the entry to the port. The Warnemünde lighthouse is often used as a venue for many local events, such as “Lighthouse in flames”, for example. At the foot of the lighthouse is Warnemünde’s famous “Teapot”, a small round building with an unusual shaped roof.
HISTORIC ANECDOTES ABOUT THE LIGHTHOUSE
In 1202, the first beacon was lit on the Swedish coast of the Baltic Sea on the Falsterbø peninsula. The flame in Warnemünde lighthouse has been burning since 1348. Centuries later, in 1897/98, the German Reich financed the construction of the lighthouse for 90,000 German Marks. The 36.9 m lighthouse towers over the Baltic Sea and is built on 33 piles so that it remains stable despite its height. For example, with a wind strength of 6 to 7, the top of the lighthouse only sways by 1.5 cm. In 1912, the petroleum light was replaced by lightbulbs and since then the light has been visible from a distance of up to 16 nautical miles. From the sea, the light flashes a 90-second light code, which is indicated in sea charts and also tells the sailors which lighthouse they are close to. If the light could not be seen in bad weather, the lighthouse keeper would ring bells to tell the sailors that they were close to land. From 1900, a fog signal cannon was sounded and since 1927, a fog signal horn – referred to as the “sea cow” by local – has been used.
WARNEMÜNDE ALTER STROM AND MIDDLE JETTY
Today the former Warnemünde port entrance is a fishing and sailing port and the starting point for many harbour tours and trips out to sea. The Alter Strom (Old Channel) was created in 1423 and until 1903 it was the only, and therefore the most important, route for ships from the Baltic Sea to reach Rostock port. The street “Am Strom“, earlier “Vörreeg” (Front row), is Warnemünde’s most popular promenade and is lined with charming fisherman’s houses. Here you can find many local businesses, restaurants and cafes. The Middle Jetty, which is just opposite, is home to the local fish market which invites visitors to taste the freshly caught fish and watch the many fishing boats, pleasure boats and yachts in the Alter Strom.
WEST JETTY
After following the old Vörreegs on foot, visitors end up at the West Jetty, which acts as a shield and breakwater. At the end of the 541m West Jetty, there is a 12 m-tall light beacon. It was built in 1998 and since then has made it much easier for ships to enter the port. From the end of the West Jetty visitors can enjoy the lovely view of the Baltic Sea and Warnemünde beach.
WARNEMÜNDE CHURCH
The first village church was built in Warnemünde in 1200. At the time it stood on the edge of the river, near the bailiwick. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the church was destroyed and rebuilt on several different occasions. Even if the predecessor to the church that you see today stood in place for several hundred years, the transformation of Warnemünde from a fishing village to a seaside resort with increasing numbers of inhabitants and visitors meant that a new building with more space was needed.
The neo-Gothic church which stands in the centre of the seaside resort today was built between 1866 and 1871 and used to be located on the western edge of Warnemünde. It was consecrated in 1871. Many of the features of the church, such as the stunning carved alter from 1475, the Renaissance-style pulpit from 1591 and the statue of St. Christopher, come from the original building. In the side transepts of the neo-gothic brick church there are two votive ships. These ships can often be found in seaside churches and are offered by sailors as a sign of gratitude for protection during storms out at sea.
