Warnemünde's Grand Sailing Festival ⛵ | Rostock

The worst weather of my trip happened to be on the day of the Warnemünde Sailing Festival—but that just made the sailing ships look even more dramatic! 🌧️⛵ The festival stretches from Rostock all the way to Warnemünde Beach. Google made the beach look huge and stunning, and getting there was easy—just a 20-minute S-Bahn ride (frequent trains!). 🚉 Arriving in Warnemünde: Right after exiting the station, there's a small bridge. Before crossing, check out the food stalls on the right—mostly smoked fish & fish burgers 🐟🍔. BUT the first stall sells STRAWBERRIES! 🍓 (€3 for 1 box, €5 for 2). I tried one… and OMG, so sweet! Turns out, strawberries are a local specialty—you’ll see the same brand in small towns! 🌉 After crossing the bridge & turning right, you’ll reach the beach & lighthouse. Even on a gloomy day, the long pier looked majestic. The beach is free, full of seaweed and giant fearless seagulls—plus a few brave souls swimming in the cold! 🥶 🔬 Nearby, there’s a marine research center (supposedly you can meet seals up close?), but it looked closed to the public—locked gates, no signs. 🤷‍♀️ ⛈️ Then… the skies opened up. Heavy rain, freezing wind, and only a few ships daring to sail. The boats looked like something out of One Piece �⚓—epic but not worth staying for! We headed back to Rostock. 🐟 On the way, we stopped at a famous fish market (rumored to have amazing fish soup). But—curse of travel strikes again! 🚫 The kitchen’s exhaust system broke, and the restaurant was CLOSED. Every. Single. Time. I swear, my dream meals always vanish. 😭 (See my Rostock post for food alternatives.) ☀️ The next morning, we were supposed to leave for Rügen Island… but the weather turned PERFECT. So we went back to the beach! 🍽️ This time, we feasted at the food stalls: fried fish bites, shrimp rolls, and finally that fish soup! 🍤🥣 🌊 Under the sun, the Baltic Sea was breathtaking—vibrant blue, fluffy clouds, endless horizon. But the weather here changes faster than a TikTok trend ⚡. Dark clouds rolled in ominously... Time to RUN! 🏃‍♀️ #Sailing #TravelTheWorld #UnfinishedBusinessMeansNextTime #Rostock ✨