Wednesday, July 23, 2014

A German surprise ~ Warnemunde…


Other than a stopover in Frankfurt's less than friendly airport, I had never visited Germany.
Knowing this cruise included a German port of call at a place I'd never heard of, I was not overly excited. Quite honestly, expectations were somewhat low. I was happily surprised when we sailed in, docked, were straight off the ship, and just a few minutes walk in brilliant sunshine brought us into a pretty town right on the edge of a busy beach.


Founded around 1200, Warnemunde at the mouth of the river Warnow, was for centuries a small fishing village of minor importance. In 1323 it lost its autonomous status when purchased by the nearby city of Rostock in order to safeguard the city's access to the Baltic Sea. In the 19th century Warnemunde began to develop into an important seaside resort and today has a population of approx. 15,000. Still a fishing port, it also has a shipyard. The construction of a modern cruise line center in 2005 has contributed to Warnemunde's establishment as the most important harbor for cruise ships in Germany, and is a jumping off-point for Berlin.


Warnemunde from our balcony - couldn't dock much closer than this!


Sauntering along the waterfront, colorful market stands where everything from local honey to fish, some still smoking, and many interesting seafood items, were for sale. Being a Sunday, families were obviously arriving from other nearby towns to shop, eat an ice cream or meal, and have a swim.

Rows of houses, hotels, shops lined the riverside………………

…and in the back streets the smaller houses and shops were 
smothered in the most wonderful roses.


The beach is windswept with vast dunes and sweeping stretches of sand on each side of the river's mouth.  I loved the shoreline at the beach - no crowds early morning - if I'd come prepared I would have been dashing into that water in no time flat!


Next time, making use of the always great local transportation in most of Europe, we took a quick trolley ride and then a train into Rostock……a great town where families gathered for fun and a huge Sunday picnic. 
Even just one day in Germany was marvelous………join me in Rostock soon.


12 comments:

  1. I'v ebeen to Germany many times but not that part

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  2. How lovely! When I was in Germany all the flowers in the window boxes and around the homes - roses, geraniums, lobelia - were what impressed me, too. And how wonderfully neat and tidy everything was. Such lovely sunshine for your foray into Warnemunde.

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  3. Beautiful - and so colorful. Love the beach scenes and the pretty houses.

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  4. What a pleasant surprise Warnemunde was for you, I'm sure! I love the pictures of the harbor. Everything is so colorful! I like how you made the collages of photos...beautiful.

    I just noticed pictures of your travels on your sidebar. What a brilliant way for us to go back and catch some of your trips we may have missed!

    Jane xx

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  5. I've always enjoyed visiting Germany, but have only been briefly each time and not for many years. Warnemunde looks lovely - never heard of it! Is it near Peenemunde? Wonderful shots - thanks for letting us in!

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  6. How incredibly delightful ~ this gem of a town in Germany.

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  7. This is a new site for me....so glad to learn about it and especially through your eyes which have such a special knack for photo opportunities. I enjoyed seeing the houses, the beach, the boats, the roses....all of it. Thanks for taking us to Warnemunde. I am looking forward to Rostock. You are just the best travel guide.

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  8. What a delightful surprise stop. I would love lounging on this beach for sure and wandering through the roses.
    Travel is so fun when new avenues open up and delight. It is quite beautiful!

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  9. That beach! Those roses! The little jars of honey! It looks beautiful and so serene, yet I can hear the people bustling around to shop and water their flowers. Great photographs -- they really highlight the bright colors in this town.

    Xx Cassie

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  10. It looks like a beautiful place! I haven't heard of it before.

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  11. What a beautiful little city...so clean and bright. I've missed too many posts...going back.

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  12. Another stunningly beautiful German town! I love the sea, and so, for me, Warnemunde is the ideal place, with pretty shops and houses, flowers everywhere, marinas and lighthouses, and an unmistakable seaside ambiance! Thanks for all the photos, Mary; they're gorgeous!

    Poppy

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