Warnemunde, Port City

The cruising season in this area starts in April, and our ship was only the third cruise ship to arrive in the port this year. That means they were happy to see us.

We arrived in Warnemunde midafternoon. The sun was out, and the haze had cleared. After spending an extra day at sea, many of us were eager to leave the ship and take a walk.

We walked from the cruise terminal to the train station, over a bridge and into the town. It has a bustling tourist area along the old harbor and what appears to be a thriving town center.

We walked through the main part of town and enjoyed its architecture.

We visited the town’s large Lutheran church. It had a rather stunning altarpiece. It also had two hanging ships, something we first saw in Scandinavia 2 years ago. They represent transporting your soul to the next life. We had been told then that this was something one would find in churches in seaports. So, how appropriate to find them here.

We especially enjoyed walking down some residential streets with their charming cottages.

We also wandered the old harborfront. Shops, cafes, flowers, and lots of people enjoying the good weather. We stopped at a sidewalk cafe for coffees and a shared pastry and a short spell of serious people watching.

As we we walked back toward the ship, we spent some time along the outer harbor, watching ferries coming and going, lots of men fishing, and an accordion player.

There was a special exhibit of large-scale sand sculptures.

And then we saw a very large ferry headed out. You might see in the picture that its name is “Copenhagen.” Gave us quite a chuckle as we figured this was to be as close to Copenhagen as we were likely to get on this cruise.

j