Although Warnemünde has been part of Rostock since 1323, the two cities couldn't be more different. Rostock is all business, just as it was as a Hanseatic city. Commercialism abounds, traffic fills the streets, and many bombed-out areas were replaced with the functional architecture popular during post-war times.

Warnemünde, on the other hand, is just plain fun. This fishing village has lost little of its charm, despite its rise to seaside resort.

Of course, Rostock is well worth a visit - perhaps for several days. Important examples of medieval and renaissance architecture are plentiful in the Old Town. There's the 1490 Hausbaumhaus, one of the few wooden structures remaining in the city. The Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church), from the same period, continues to cast a dramatic shadow, although the 117-meter/355-foot steeple of the Petrikirche tops the skyline (climb the 196 steps or take the half-minute elevator ride). Adjacent to the Marienkirche stands the 13th-century Rathaus, with its 18th-century baroque makeover. Traditional gabled patrician houses line Wokrenterstraße.

Some of the original city wall still remains, especially along the parklike Wallstraße. Beyond the wall, villas and residence were built in the 1850s for an expanding middle class. The lively Kröpelinerstraße in the pedestrian zone is usually bustling with window-shoppers and friends chatting at sidewalk cafes. At its mid-way point, the Universitätsplatz (with its Fountain of Happiness) is a magnet for students and other young people. Fine restaurants abound.