Markgrafenheide: Baltic Sea Beach, Dunes and Coastal Forest

Markgrafenheide offers a fine natural beach on the Baltic Sea. At the eastern beach – Markgrafenheide Beach, a dune path runs parallel to the water’s edge. Just behind the dunes, the coastal forest of Rostock Heath invites you to hike and cycle; the shallow water is also suitable for children. This gives you a choice of different ways to spend your holiday days, with a focus on the beach, forest or nature watching.

Discover nature between dunes and bog

In Rostock Heath, behind the dune at Markgrafenheide, there are educational trails with activity stations where you can discover the flora and fauna. The dune path along the eastern beach and the educational trails offer different ways to explore the outdoors: one runs parallel to the water’s edge, while the other features stations focused on nature.

Another highlight is Thalasso Health Trail 3. It runs through the southern part of the “Heiligensee and Hütelmoor” nature reserve and includes the “Moor & More” station. There you’ll find a balancing course, information boards and rest areas. The station is part of the “Biological Diversity” discovery trail, which was opened by the City Forestry Office in 2018. The trail therefore brings together the natural environment, information and a balancing course to create a specific destination for an outing.

Beach days and water sports

If you’d like to include water sports alongside the beach and forest, the water sports centre at the Strandresort Markgrafenheide offers sailing, surfing and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). Activities are seasonal, so check before your trip whether they are available during your stay. This can help you decide whether you want your holiday days to focus mainly on nature trails and the beach, or include water sports as well.

Bus and ferry connections to other destinations

Bus routes 17 and 18 connect Markgrafenheide with the ferry in Hohe Düne; after crossing, you can reach Warnemünde. Bus route 18 also offers a direct connection from Markgrafenheide to Rostock. These connections give you different options for planning your day: a bus journey followed by a ferry crossing, or a direct bus ride into the city. As transport connections may change, check the latest bus and ferry timetables when planning your trip.

Rostock: city history as an added attraction

Rostock itself has a history spanning more than 800 years and is one of the Baltic Sea’s historic Hanseatic cities. A walk through the historic centre takes you, among other places, across Universitätsplatz, past the Monastery of the Holy Cross and along Kröpeliner Straße, as well as to Neuer Markt and St. Mary’s Church. The walk explores architecture, urban development and Hanseatic traditions. The Cultural History Museum Rostock displays historic furniture, old paintings, city maps and objects from trade and craftsmanship across around 2,000 square metres. You can combine coastal and nature experiences in Markgrafenheide with a dedicated city visit to Rostock.

Choose the right accommodation for your trip

When looking for accommodation, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on: would you like to spend most of your time on the Baltic Sea beach, on paths through the coastal forest and at nature stations, or would you also like to include Rostock’s history in your plans? Markgrafenheide offers a variety of options, from the dune path and educational trails to bus connections towards Rostock and Hohe Düne. Tailor your search to the combination that suits your stay.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Amt Krakow am See, Niekrenz, Kröpelin, Bad Doberan, Gehlsdorf, Amt Neubukow-Salzhaff, Graal-Muritz, Amt Tessin.

Back to the main travel guide: Rostock.