Our second port of call was Warnemunde, a small seaside resort (pop. 8,400) situated at the estuary of the river Warnow. Originally a fishing village, it became part of Rostock in 1323.It was a grey, wet morning and it was only because I had prepaid for a tour of Warnemunde and Rostock that we put on our raincoats and headed for the bus and Rostock's Old Town.
Rostock was once an important Hanseatic League City. It has preserved much of the architecture from that period, which reflects the wealth of the medieval merchants. Rostock is still important as a trade centre and it is also a university town - home to the oldest university in Europe (1419). The construction of a modern cruise terminal in 2005 boosted tourism.
Our guide was a sprightly lody of 75. She made great effort to please. She was very knowledgeable of the local attractions, which resulted in information overload and I retained little. I do remember that she said life was tough due to rising cost of living and stagnant wages. There is still a great disparity in the wages of Eastern vs Western German 20 years after reunification. This she stated was unsatisfactory. Prices in the shops looked great to me... after Copenhagen :)
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