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Photo: Marcus Sümnick, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Founded in 1899, this 56-hectare facility in the Barnstorfer Wald is the largest zoo on the German Baltic coast. It houses approximately 6,500 animals across 500 species within a zoo-botanical landscape that integrates diverse educational programs and accessible animal exhibits.
Rostock Zoo is a zoo in the city of Rostock, Germany, founded in 1899. It covers 56 hectares and with 4,500 animals from 320 species, Rostock Zoo is the largest zoo on the German east coast. Rostock Zoo is studbook keeper of Polar bears within the European Endangered Species Programme. The director of Rostock Zoo is Udo Nagel.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Hansa Rostock is the most successful football club from the former East Germany and has a very dedicated fan base. The club plays in the 3. Liga (third tier). The Ostseestadion (capacity 29,000) offers an intense atmosphere, especially during home matches. Tickets for most matches can be bought online or at the fan shop, though high-profile games may sell out. Single tickets usually range from €15 to €40.
The Stadthalle Rostock has many shows and music events.
The Kröpeliner-Tor-Vorstadt (KTV, "Kröpelin Gate Suburb") was the first part of Rostock built outside the medieval city walls, in the 2nd half of the 19th century. It was designed to house workers flocking to the newly industrialised town. Today's KTV is one of the most popular residential areas, especially with students and artists. It is here that you will find the highest density of bars, cafes and small shops selling handicraft or organic food. To get to KTV from Rostock's main shopping street (Kröpeliner Straße), follow it all the way to the west, passing Kröpelin Gate and crossing the tram lines. Everything in front of you now is already part of KTV. Check out the Doberaner Platz, where most tram lines stop, where the best Döner Kebab is sold, and where everyone seems to meet before a pub crawl with friends.
city walls
While much of Rostock's fortifications were removed on the "sea"side (towards the river Warnow), a large part of the city wall remains on the "land" side and is certainly worth a visit. You will encounter the three remaining gates, Kröpeliner Tor, Steintor (stone gate) and the oldest, Kuhtor (cow gate). Guided tours (some of them by a guide dressed up as a medieval night-watchman) are available and recommended for anyone interested in the history of the town. They can be booked under the stated link or in the tourist office. For the "night-watchman" tour, it is also possible to simply turn up at Petrikirche at 20:00 if you're not with a large group, but the tour will then be in German only.
Marienkirche
The greatest church of Rostock, a huge brick Gothic church, built from the 13th-15th century with an astronomical clock of 1472 and fine historical altars.
Frequent passenger ferries and sightseeing boats connect Rostock’s city harbor with Warnemünde, providing an alternative to the S-Bahn for traveling to the coast.