What to know about the Warnemünde cruise port before you go ashore

Just a short walk from the ship will bring you to Alter Strom, the old channel where fishing boats once tied up along the waterfront. Former fishermen’s cottages are now quaint house cafés, restaurants and small shops that you can wander through as you take in the maritime scenery, with local boats still lining the water. 

Continue toward the Baltic and you’ll reach the Warnemünde Lighthouse, a 121-foot (37-meter) landmark that has watched over the coast since the late 19th century. When the lighthouse is open to visitors, you can climb to the top for sweeping views across the Baltic Sea, beach and red-roofed town below.

Beside it stands the Teepott, which is hard to mistake for anything else because of its distinctive shape. The low, round building is topped by a concrete roof that swoops upward into three sail-like points. Built in 1968, it replaced an earlier waterfront Teepott that burned in 1945. Its swooping roof makes it one of the most photographed buildings on the promenade, right beside the lighthouse.

You can also visit the seaside in Warnemünde. With its broad expanse of pale sand stretching along the Baltic coast, the beach is a nice place to walk or dip your toes in after sightseeing. Just don’t expect Caribbean temperatures — Baltic water tends to be on the cooler side even during summer.

If you want to venture beyond Warnemünde but don’t want to take the entire day to do so, Rostock may be the right fit for you. The S-Bahn station sits just steps from the cruise terminal, and trains cover Warnemünde to Rostock in about 20 minutes.

Once there, head toward the historic center and St. Mary’s Church (Marienkirche), a monumental brick Gothic church whose oldest sections date to the 13th century. Inside, look for its astronomical clock, built in 1472. The elaborate mechanism still operates with its original medieval clockwork and displays things like the time, phases of the moon and position of the sun.

From St. Mary’s, you’re close to Neuer Markt, the Old Town’s central square. Pastel-colored gabled houses frame the square alongside Rostock Town Hall, which most guests like to explore on foot before heading back to the station. With such a short rail journey, Rostock gives you a taste of northern Germany’s medieval architecture without taking the full-day approach required for Berlin. To see it with a guide, the Best of Rostock, River Cruise & Microbrewery excursion includes an inside visit to St. Mary’s Church.

For a different kind of rail journey, the Mecklenburg Countryside & Vintage Railway excursion pairs Bad Doberan’s Gothic minster with a ride on Molli, a narrow-gauge steam train that runs to the Baltic resort of Kühlungsborn.

If Berlin is calling your name and you would love to spend the day there, your journey does start and end in Warnemünde. Traveling from Warnemünde to Berlin takes roughly 2.5 to 3 hours one way by train, so this is definitely a full-day outing that you need to plan ahead for.

A guided Princess® excursion takes much of the logistical work off your plate. Transportation into the capital, the day’s timing and the return to Warnemünde are planned around the ship’s schedule. You simply show up on time and then focus on Berlin once you arrive. Options range from the guided Best of Berlin by Train to Berlin on Your Own by Train, which leaves most of the day free. Browse all Warnemünde for Berlin, Germany excursions to compare.

There are several things to do in Berlin once you arrive, where a single day can still cover some of the landmarks that define the capital. You can see the Brandenburg Gate, remnants of the Berlin Wall and the Reichstag. The best time to visit Berlin depends on your sailing date, too, if you want to see a specific time of year or event, like the Berlin Marathon in September. But there’s no wrong season to see Berlin, with its incredible architecture and history.

The Warnemünde Cruise Center is a modern terminal built to accommodate large cruise ships and a solid “home base” as you plan port outings. Its location puts the train station and village within a short walk of the pier. A few basics will help once you step ashore:

• Currency: Germany uses the euro. Many businesses accept cards, but some shops don’t for small purchases, so carry some euros for food stands, market vendors and public restrooms, which can cost 50 cents to €1.
• Language: German is the local language, though English is commonly spoken in Warnemünde’s cafés, shops and other visitor-focused businesses.
• Getting around: You won’t need transportation to explore central Warnemünde. Alter Strom, the lighthouse and beach are all accessible on foot, while the nearby station makes it easy to continue by train if Rostock is part of your plans.

That compact setup gives you plenty of flexibility to decide how far you want to venture without spending the beginning of your port day simply getting out of the terminal.

A day in Warnemünde can be as easygoing or ambitious as you’d like. Stay beside the Baltic for seaside lighthouse views or board a train to see more inland. Whichever route you choose will give you an exhilarating taste of Germanic Europe.

Find a European cruise that calls at Warnemünde and start planning your day ashore.