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Beach volleyball on the beach in Warnemünde
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The Gateway to the Baltic Sea
The ‘last house before Denmark’ is not really a house. It has neither four walls, nor a chimney. But it is round and 30 meters high, and the top floor is made of mirrored glass. That’s the lighthouse in Warnemünde. It’s the last house that captains of the ferries see on their way to Denmark. The Warnemünde lighthouse is also the first building to appear on the horizon of the sea. It’s the sailor’s symbol that guides ships safely into the Rostock harbors.
Two million passengers yearly, ride on these big ships headed toward Denmark and Sweden. Here they set sail. twenty times a day. It belongs to normal everyday life here. But once a week, much whispering and exclamations of admiration can be heard through the narrow cobblestone streets. A gigantic sea monster sails closely by fishing houses, restaurants and cafes, like a traveling skyscraper. It makes its way slowly towards the harbor. It’s an incredibly surreal sight. In the year 2000, the people of Warnemünde counted at least 60 of these international cruise liners.
Spectacle on the Water
The smaller sailing boats and yachts that sail in and out of here, appreciate the entrance to the harbor that’s easy to maneuver. Another benefit is that the almost linear coastline provides predictable currents and winds as well as water levels. In other words, it provides excellent conditions for sailing galas here, among the best in the world. The fact that even vehicles that don’t even look like boats, but can still float on water, find their way to the harbor entrance, give you an idea of the participants in the so-called ‘Waschzuber-Rennen’ (Bathtub Races). Here it’s all about show and skill, fantasy and fun- in and on the water, just like the other festivals in Warnemünde and Rostock. There’s water involved in all of them - at the ‘Warnemünde Week’, at the “Electric Awakening’, and at the ‘Electric-Party’. The largest maritime event along the entire coast of the Baltic Sea is Rostock’s ‘Hansa Sail’. Every year in August, more than one million visitors come to marvel at the over 200 large and traditional sailboats, windjammers and museum ships from over 40 countries. Everyone is his or her own captain here.
From Canoe to a Concrete Ship
The ten-thousand-ton vessel with four 1600 horsepower run engines is securely moored on the banks of the Warnow. The “Dresden” sailed the waters for eleven years as a freighter for engines. It’s now the hit at Rostock’s countryside museums. Between the decks and the holds or loading rooms, the story of the boat ride from canoe to concrete ship is vividly illustrated; a ship’s workshop, equipped with rivets, and a shipyard crane. Who would of thought that concrete was only used for houses and bridges. The “Capella”, a ship made of concrete can now be found in a museum. This was clearly an attempt from the Second War to also build ships of materials other than steel. Of course this ambitious attempt failed. Even the landlubbers know that by now.
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Anna Yadoyan from Armenia studies German and has no problems in Rostock:
'The people are very open and there is lots to do is your free time.' (German)
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Mircea Mocanita from Romania studies the Violin at the University for Theatre and Music in Rostock:
'The city is developing well. There are always more bars, discos and sporting opportunities.' (German)
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