DISTANT PLACES
Travel tips by Bremen sehenswert far from the Hanseatic City of Bremen
Hanseatic City of Rostock - A Travel Guide
Along the Old City Wall from Kröpeliner Tor to St. Peter's Church
After the three city settlements - Altstadt (Old Town), Mittelstadt (Middle Town), and Neustadt (New Town) - had united between 1262 and 1265, the people of Rostock began fortifying their new city. By 1350, a roughly three-kilometer-long defensive wall had been built, reaching up to 1.2 meters in thickness. It featured 22 gates (most on the water side), six watchtowers, and several semicircular Wiekhäusern (defensive protrusions) along the field side of the wall.
From the outside, the full height of the city wall (with its Wiekhaus) is no longer visible
After completion, the predominantly brick-built defensive wall enclosed a city area of about one square kilometer - the roughly equivalent of today’s Old Town. In times of danger, a wooden walkway could be installed at a height of around three meters along what was originally a seven-meter-high wall. Today, however, a reconstructed walkway exists at only one location: near the Abbey of the Holy Cross (Kloster zum Heiligen Kreuz).
View from the walkway along the city wall near the Abbey of the Holy Cross
The tour begins at the most impressive of the four preserved gates - the mighty Kröpeliner Tor. Instead of continuing down Kröpeliner Straße, the route follows along to the right. The remaining section of the wall is visible in its full height only from the city side. The first stretch leads to the Abbey of the Holy Cross, a former 13th-century Cistercian convent that remains largely intact. Here, this part of the old city wall ends.
Michael’s Monastery (Michaeliskloster)
Passing through the monastery grounds, visitors walk by the charming Klostercafé and the Kempowski-Archiv before reaching Universitätsplatz. The path continues past former ducal buildings until it reaches Schwaansche Straße (to the right). This street passes Altbettelmönchstraße, where St. Michael's Convent (Michaeliskloster) stands on the left. At Wallstraße, the route turns left, running alongside the Rosengarten - a small green oasis established in 1860 near the busy August-Bebel-Straße. After a short walk, the neogothic Ständehaus catches the eye; it was built between 1889 and 1893.
Kuhtor and Lagebuschturm
The adjacent Steintor (Stone Gate), dating to the Renaissance period, replaced an earlier gate demolished by Schwerin troops in 1577. Here begins another section of the city wall, featuring the Lagebuschturm (built in the 16th century) and ending at the oldest preserved city gate in Rostock - the Kuhtor, first mentioned in 1262.
Statue at Glockengießerhof (bellfounder's courtyard)
Between the tower and the gate stood a foundry courtyard behind the Ratsschmiede (Council Blacksmith’s Workshop) on Beginenberg Street. Founders were among the oldest guilds in the Hanseatic city, already documented around 1250. In honor of these craftsmen, a bronze statue by Rostock-born artist Thomas Jastram (2009) stands on Glockengießerhof (bellfounder's courtyard).
Krahnstöverhaus
From here, the towering spire of St. Nicolas' Church (Nikolaikirche) is visible. However, before reaching it, there’s a detour to Große Wasserstraße, where Krahnstöverhaus - one of the last surviving secular buildings with a Gothic brick façade and among the city’s oldest houses (first documented in 1376) - can be found. Originally a merchant’s house with an ornate stepped gable, it now hosts gastronomy. In 1874, it was purchased by Julius Krahnstöver’s nearby liqueur factory, giving the building its name. The existing entrance extension dates to the late 1930s.
Detail at the corner of Große Wasserstraße and Beginenberg
Back at the intersection “An der Viergelindenbrücke,” the tour ascends toward St. Nicolas' Church. Though no longer used as a parish church, this sacred building now serves as a cultural venue. Several protected historic houses line nearby Lohgerberstraße, leading to the elevated market square of Rostock’s oldest settlement - the Alten Markt (Old Market) near St. Peter's Church (Petrikirche).
Protected historic house on Lohgerberstraße
In the early 13th century, german merchants settled here, laying the foundation for the city of Rostock. Behind the right row of houses runs the longest stretch of the city wall - from St. Nicolas' Church to beyond St. Peter's Church, where this final section of the old fortifications ends.
Beyond the wall: view of St. Nicolas' Church
However, via Karl-Planeth-Weg, one can walk parallel to the residential street between the two churches on the opposite (outward-facing) side. This route is far more pleasant as it’s free from traffic. At various points along the wall, small ceramic boxes are attached to provide shelter for bats.
Along Karl-Planeth-Weg by the old city wall
From the grave of Joachim Slüter, the Petri preacher who played a key role in introducing the Reformation to Rostock, one’s gaze at the end of the old city wall near St. Peter's Church (Petrikirche) extends over “Am Strande” Street toward the city harbor.
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Rügen by the Baltic Sea
Active holiday featuring cycling and hiking
Enjoy an active holiday featuring cycling and hiking along the Baltic coast in Mönchgut on the island of Rügen. Long sandy beaches, rolling hills, and lush forests provide a varied and beautiful setting for your getaway. Often, the only thing breaking the peace is the distant whistle of the historic 'Rasender Roland' steam train. Despite its name (which suggests something "racing" or fast), it’s actually quite the opposite. A journey by train is simply part of the holiday experience.
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Crabs, dikes and the Wadden Sea
The North Sea spa town of Büsum
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A short visit to the historic old town of Heppenheim
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