History has been written in Rostock for over 800 years. Nevertheless, Rostock is young. Once an important member of the Hanseatic League, the city has retained a great deal of its original charm, but has never opposed the new. The students have always ensured that: Rostock University was founded as long ago as 1419 and is the oldest in the Baltic Sea region. Brick facades are almost holy here. Gabled houses from various periods and the impressive churches bear witness to the wealth of the medieval merchants. Visitors to Rostock are greeted long before they arrive by the 117 metre-high tower of St. Peter’s. Once a landmark for seafarers, it has witnessed and suffered turbulent times. St. Mary’s is a jewel direct on the New Market. The astronomic clock from 1472 is an attraction for visitors to the Gothic basilica, especially at 12 noon, when the procession of the apostles is to be seen. The predominant Gothic buildings have repeatedly been joined by new, modern structures from later periods. Building in brick has never been out of fashion. Warnemünde, in 1323 still a small fishing village, was bought by Rostock in the early Middle Ages, a bit of paradise on the doorstep, and which secured free access to the Baltic Sea for the city. The country around Rostock offers a wide range of beautiful landscape. Whereas to the north the seaside resorts dot the shore of the Baltic Sea like pearls on a string, Rostock Heath to the east is one of the oldest urban wooded areas in Germany. Rostockers are North Germans, sometimes a little dour. But that changes fast. The many-facetted cultural life, the numerous pubs and bars, the museums and theatres give holiday-makers and tourists from all over the world ample opportunity to experience the city, not only during the summer season. The many visitors are simply part of this city on the sea.