 Rostock
Port of Berlin, Germany
The cruise port for Berlin is Warnemunde. It is located on the Baltic Sea. It is a 3 hour train ride into Berlin from there, with a 3 hour return. That leaves 5-6 hours in Berlin - which we declined. You can also hire a taxi to take you to/from Berlin for 400-500 euros - with about the same timing. A much better choice is to avoid the hustle and instead head straight for Rostock. This is a wonderful small town 16km from the port (23 euro taxi ride). This town is the largest in the northern part of Germany and is perfect for a day of soaking up the local culture. Tell the taxi to drop you off at the Kropliner Tor.
  The Kropeliner Tor is the main gate-tower for the old town. In the olden days (think 500 years ago), this was where people entered the city take advantage of walking in the footsteps of history! This is also where the action is. Kropeliner Strasse is the main shopping street as well as the center of the old town. The street is closed to traffic and ideal for leisurely walking, shopping, and having coffee in the outdoor cafés. Plus you can find some history if you look for it.
Start by climbing the gate-tower (109 steps) to get a view of the surrounding area. The tower was constructed in the 1400's as part of the city wall. In those days, Rostock was a powerful city and major seaport with about 12000 inhabitants. From the top of the tower looking the south you can see parts of the city wall still intact. Inside the tower is a small museum with artifacts and descriptions of the town through the ages.
After climbing down, treat yourself to some coffee at the outdoor café across the street. That is also part of a modern shopping complex that is worthwhile to explore. Next, start your stroll down the Kropeliner Strasse and check out the shops. As you get to the University Square (Universitatsplatz) in the center of the street, you will find a wonderful fountain and several 15th century buildings to investigate. Here is the University of Rostock that was founded in 1419. Down some of the side streets are an old church and monastery.
There is also a great outdoor café (Grand Cafe) on the corner overlooking the fountain. Stop here for coffee and pastries and people watching.
 Further along the street are more shops, lots of ice cream places and street vendors. On the side street called Eselföterstraße is the perfect German restaurant Stilbruch with typical local food. It caters to the locals, not tourists. Go upstairs to a nice dining room, try their local beer and some weinerschnitzel. Everything is good and the whole group of us cleared our plates. Suggestion is to pass on the dessert (see below).
 Next, head back to the main street (Kropeliner Strasse) and walk a little further to the shopping complex on your right. Inside on the main floor in the center is an ice cream parlor with creations you must try - ones that I've never seen before or since. Along with the typical ice cream sundaes, they offer ice cream sculptures made with fresh sliced fruits berries, and chocolate items that will please any palate. They also do pasta-shaped ice cream sundaes, so what looks like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna is really an ice cream dessert! And it all tastes magnificent.
Having satisfied your appetite continue along Kropeliner Strasse heading to the Rathaus - the government building. Around this square are lots of vendors and a farmer's market. A great place to pick up some fresh fruit, have some more coffee and partake in the Europoean passtime of people watching.
 Before you get to the Rathaus you will come across the street Am Ziegenmarkt. Here is Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church). We have a separate story about this church. Besides being built starting in the 13th century with 700 years of wonderful craftsmanship inside, it houses "the clock". Constructed in 1472 this is a working astronomical clock that keeps track of the time, calendar, and astronomical events. It is a superb piece of German engineering and a marvel to behold. And it is the only one of its kind still working.
At the end of your day you can go back to the fountain plaza (Universitatsplatz) and walk down Breite Strasse that ends at the river. If you are there before 3pm, you can catch a ferry back to Warnemunde. If you miss it, then go to one of the hotels near the train station, and grab a taxi back to the port at Warnemunde.
This will be a nice relaxing day, without the pressure of a tour, and you will have experienced a little slice of German town life. Auf Weidersehn!
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