Warnemunde

Warnemünde is a sea resort and district of Rostock in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, situated on the Baltic Sea in the north-east of Germany in west-central Europe.

Harbour tours are available all along the Warnow in Warnemunde.

Warnemunde beach is backed by dunes with perpetual gales blowing in from the North Sea. Hire a Strandkorb, a 19th century designed wicker basket chair with comfortable cushions, pull-down shades, footrests and storage.

Karl's Erlebnis-Dorf is a farmers' market and strawberry theme park, 20 minutes from Rostock. It's free to enter and there are playgrounds, farm animals, miniature train rides, pony rides (for a small fee), sand sculptures, trampolines, a maze, places to eat and drink and lots of shopping opportunities.

Bunker 302 is an atomic radio bunker at Eichenthal, 20 minutes drive from Rostock. The bunker, which still contains all of its original monitoring equipment, is fascinating if you're into military history.

Alternatively, visit the former Stasi pre-trial detention centre at 34b Hermannstrasse, Rostock. You can see the tiny cells where political activists were detained and learn about the hated security service from a permanent exhibition.

As it isn't practical time-wise to reach Berlin on your own, a ship's shore excursion the best way to reach the capital.

Potsdamer Platz represents a reborn Berlin, once a wasteland, with the Berlin Wall running through the centre, it now boasts more than 100 shops, restaurants and bars, an amusement park and a small piece of the Berlin Wall embossed with graffiti and photographs.

The Tiergarten is a vast urban park that stretches west from the Brandenburg Gate to the Berlin Zoo.

Built in 1791, The Brandenburg Gate faces Pariser Platz, the elegant square lined with handsome buildings.

Take a look inside the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station). The S-Bahn and Deutsche Bahn trains pass through the curved glass train shed at the upper level as well as at completely right angles below ground. In between are a huge range of shops, restaurants and a city information centre.

Gendarmenmarkt is the setting for the Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral), Franzosischer Dom (French Cathedral) and the Konzerthaus (Concert Hall).

At Checkpoint Charlie, once the most famous border crossing between the American Sector and the Soviet Sector, Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, tells the story of the Berlin Wall's construction and the ingenious ways East Germans tried to escape to the West.

Visit the Judisches (Jewish) Museum for a poignant history of German Jewish contributions prior to World War II

Museums include the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), Pergamon Museum, Altes Museum and the Bodes Museum. A day pass will give entry to all four.

The Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) was completed in 1905, it was the family church for the ruling Hohenzollerns, some of whom are buried in the crypt.

In Nikolaiviertel (Nicholas Quarter) see the twin-spired Nikolaikirche (Nicholas Church), Marienkirche, the city's oldest church with a congregation, and the 1860 Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall).

Alexanderplatz, once a parade ground where Hitler held rallies, is now a major modern shopping centre and transportation hub. You will also find The Fernsehturm (TV tower), Berlin's highest structure with its viewing platform being a popular tourist attraction.

North of Alexanderplatz, Scheunenviertel is the historic Jewish quarter. The quarter bustles with restaurants and shops.

The longest section of the Berlin Wall parallels the River Spree southeast of Alexanderplatz. Take the S-Bahn to Ostbahnhof and walk right one long block to the river.

Schloss Charlottenburg is a complex of baroque palaces, rebuilt after WWII, that served as the home for the royal Hohenzollern rulers.

Prime shopping districts include the Am Gendarmenmarkt and Friedrichstadt Passagen and the Kurfurstendamm, a tree-lined boulevard and the main shopping street in former West Berlin.

A local favourite is 'fischbroetchen', a fried fish sandwich. Other popular German food includes 'bratkartoffeln' (fried potatoes, often with diced bacon and/or onions), bratwurst sausages and 'sauerkraut' (shredded cabbage).

Cruise ships dock at both Warnemunde and Rostock, a neighbouring town.

Warnemunde has two berths and you can walk from the terminal straight into town. (Note: wheelchair users - there is an underpass with steps and no lift under the railway.)

Located near the port is Karl's Erlebnis-Dorf, located near the port (see also his theme park attraction). This rustic souvenir store is decorated with a maritime theme, and you can stock up on sea-related gifts, German snacks and orange Sanddorn berries -- a local speciality.

Taxis wait outside and there are dial up car hire facilities. Walking is the best way to navigate Warnemunde once you've arrived in the centre by shuttle or taxi. Bicycles can be hired and there are plenty of marked cycle trails.