One of our favorite Mondays during the year is probably the seventh Monday after Easter – Whit Monday. It’s a public holiday with a religious background, but here, in the North of Germany, it’s more related to having a day off, which means spending time with your beloved ones and having a great day. I’m NOT saying that nobody really knows why Whitsun is a religious holiday, but if you are interested in knowing (and just forgot what it is about), ask Google rather than embarrassing someone on the street who may well not know the answer right away. 😉
Anyway, we just want to make some suggestions for having a nice Whitsun in Rostock. People particularly enjoy the annual Whitsun market (“Pfingstmarkt”), a tradition which goes back 600 years ago. Back then, it was more of a trade fair at which everybody was allowed to trade among themselves (whereas people who lived outside the city could normally only trade with the local city population during the rest of the year). Today people go there to enjoy the diverse hustle and bustle at the “Stadthafen” – (harbor), among merry-go-rounds, little shops with food, food, and more food and – of course German beer and other things on which you can spend your money.If you want to avoid the crowd you might want to go there right after it opens around 11 a.m.
Interested in classical and modern music, in famous pieces of music and of film music? Then the “classic night” in the Rostock Zoo is a must-do. It is a wonderful open air concert organized by Rostock Zoo on the Friday when Whitsun starts.
Tickets for the concert are not really cheap (students: 27€ and adults: 33€), but to get the most out of what is really a terrific experience, – we recommend the following: buy a ticket first thing in the morning- because with this ticket you can spend all day at the zoo, and the concert only begins at 7.30 p.m. During the concert there’s an amazing atmosphere – just imagine it: listening to good music and observing bright stars as the night sets in. Couples need to go there – it’s fantastically romantic!
If you want to go easy on your wallet there are plenty of other possibilities for a nice Whitsun. As it already has been suggested on “Balticseabackpackertips”, one could have a picnic at the Schwanenteich, a BBQ at the “Warnowufer” at the harbor or even have a splendid day in Warnemünde orMarkgrafenheide.
As for us, we’re looking forward to our day off and to a nice stroll along the “Pfingstmarkt” with our family or friends.
Have a happy Whitsun here in Rostock!
Susanne & Katharina