Tourist Attractions in Rostock

South of the Lange Strasse in Rostock (parallel with it) is Kröpeliner Strasse (pedestrian zone), with gabled houses of different periods.

In the Markt of Rostock are fine old gabled houses and the imposing Gothic Marienkirche (St Mary's Church); Baroque interior, with a bronze font of 1290, St Roch's Altar, an astronomical clock of 1472 (calendar extending to 2017) and a Baroque organ.

In the Neuer Markt, in the center of the rebuilt old town of Rostock, stands the 13th C. Town Hall with its Baroque facade (1727-29). It was built after the destruction of the old Ratslaube (arcade) in 1718.

To the north of the Kröpeliner Tor in Rostock, reached by way of the Wallanlagen (the gardens on the line of the old fortifications), is the 17th C. Fischerbastion.

The History Museum in Rostock is located in an old Cistercian convent. The museum features religious art, as well as a Retable of the Three Kings with a view of the city in the Middle Ages.

At the end of Kröpeliner Strasse in Rostock is the Kröpeliner Tor (13th-14th C., brick-built Gothic), now housing a museum.

On the Schwanenteich in Rostock is the Kunsthalle (exhibitions).

The rebuilding of Rostock after the Second World War began in the Lange Strasse, which runs west from St Mary's Church. It shows a successful mingling of traditional North German brick-built Gothic and modern features.

North of the Lange Strasse lies a rebuilt area of the old town, consisting of new buildings in traditional style and carefully restored old buildings (e.g. Wokrenter Strasse 40).

Immediately west of the University in Rostock is the Monastery of the Holy Cross, now occupied by the Museum of Culture (Kulturhistorisches Museum).

In August-Bebel-Strasse in Rostock can be found the Shipping Museum (Schiffahrtsmuseum). In the Schmarl district is moored an old ship of traditional type, the "Frieden" (shipbuilding museum).

The museum explores the history of navigation from the Vikings to the present day.

In the Ziegenmarkt, by the church, is the handsome facade of the Old Mint (Alte Münze: Rostock enjoyed the right to coin money from 1325 to 1864).

Ribnitz-Damgarten plays host to this festival which includes folk dancing and music as well as expositions. It takes place annually in early to mid-July.

In Rostock's Universitätsplatz, to the south of Kröpeliner Strasse, are the main building of Rostock University (1867-70, neo-Renaissance), the old Palace (Baroque Hall), the neo-classical Hauptwache (Guard-House) and the "Fountain of the Joy of Life" (by J. Jastram and R. Dietrich). In front of the University can be seen a statue (by J. G. Schadow, 1819) of Field-Marshal Blücher, who was born in Rostock.

At the end of Steinstrasse in Rostock, which runs south from the Neuer Markt, is the Steintor, rebuilt in Renaissance style, with the three historic coats of arms of Rostock.