The Hanse Sail in Rostock

The Hanse Sail in Rostock is the largest maritime festival in Mecklenburg (Germany) and one of the largest in Europe. Around one million visitors come to Rostock's city harbor and the passenger quay in Warnemünde every year to marvel at the diverse appearance and the enormous number of ships.

About 250 traditional sailing ships of all types and sizes from a vast variety of countries visit the coast of the city of Rostock every year during the second weekend of August. Today, the Hanse Sail forms part of the joint Baltic Sail, which takes place in several countries bordering the Baltic Sea during July and August.

The first Hanse Sail took place between 22 and 28 July 1991. Despite initial skepticism, the first Hanse Sail turned out to be a great success. This might have been mainly due to enthusiasm sparked by the German reunification, as the sea border was open for the first time in decades.

Every year, many large and traditional sailing ships, cruise ships, ferries and other large seagoing vessels from various countries provide a spectacle at sea that is well worth seeing. Sightseeing flights with seaplanes and visits to museum ships are also part of the Hanse Sail. Of course, there are various offers around the sailing meeting. Exhibitions and entertainment programs are just a few examples.