Once a week, we currently explore a new corner here in our home state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. And each time, we realize how beautiful it is here at home. This time, we decided to spend a day in the Baltic Sea resort of Kühlungsborn. We threw our beach clothes into the car, along with our camera equipment, a few snacks, and a whole lot of good cheer. After a nearly 40-minute drive, we reached the “Green City by the Sea.” Why this name? We’ll explain that later. In the following post, we’ll take you through the Baltic Sea resort and show you everything we saw and experienced. Enjoy browsing!

Other holiday destinations:

• Holiday in Zinnowitz on the Baltic Sea
• Rügen Island and Jasmund National Park
• 20 great places in Germany
• The Mecklenburg Lake District

• Short break in Büsum on the North Sea
• Ahrenshoop on the Baltic Sea
• Tips for Rothenburg ob der Tauber
• The Walchensee in Bavaria

• More Holiday destinations:
• General information about the Baltic Sea resort of Kühlungsborn
• Arrival in Kühlungsborn
• Baltic Sea resort of Kühlungsborn – Parking
• Rent a bike
• Sights and highlights
• Hotels in Kühlungsborn
• Conclusion about the Baltic Sea resort of Kühlungsborn
• More impressions

General information about the Baltic Sea resort of Kühlungsborn

The Baltic Sea resort of Kühlungsborn is just under 40 minutes by car from Rostock and lies between Heiligendamm and Rerik. Two districts awaited us here: Kühlungsborn East and Kühlungsborn West. In between lies the lush green, truly large city forest. This is why the Baltic Sea resort is also nicknamed the “Green City by the Sea.” Particularly beautiful are the expansive, long sandy beach, the beautiful pier, the historic resort architecture, and the wide range of excursion destinations in the area.

Note: We often see on Instagram that some travel bloggers “complain” about the Baltic Sea being so “crowded” and “touristy.” Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the most popular travel destination in Germany. So, is it any wonder that the Baltic Sea resorts are so popular? Everyone wants to vacation by the sea, and no one can blame them for that. So let’s try to enjoy the beautiful corners of Germany together. In the end, there’s room for everyone here!

Getting to Kühlungsborn

By car: We drove from Rostock and reached the Baltic Sea resort in about 40 minutes. If you’re coming from the west, you have to take the A20 and drive to Bad Doberan or Kröpelin, or exit at Wismar. Coming from the south? No problem. Follow the A19 towards Güstrow and then take the A20 to Bad Doberan.

By bus: From Rostock, bus 121 departs once an hour via Bad Doberan and Wittenbeck to the Baltic Sea resort. Flixbus* even runs from Berlin, Leipzig, and Dresden directly to Kühlungsborn (Kühlungsborn Ost train station). You can of course also take the bus to Rostock and then change to bus 121.

By train: We love traveling by train, and you can also easily reach the Baltic Sea resort of Kühlungsborn by train. Look for a connection to Rostock or Bad Doberan. In Bad Doberan, you can then change to the historic steam locomotive “Molli” and travel to Kühlungsborn in 45 minutes. You can of course also take bus 121 from Bad Doberan (coming from Rostock).

Baltic Sea Resort Kühlungsborn – Parking

Parking is generally not a big problem in Kühlungsborn, but it is an expensive undertaking. There are virtually no free parking spaces; in the town itself, you are allowed to park on the side of the road for a maximum of two hours (30 minutes = €0.50). There are large parking garages, although these are not cheap either. We had to pay a hefty €15 for the entire day at the Seebrücke parking garage.

This parking garage is really well located and not far from the sea and the pier. You pay €1 per hour, a day ticket costs €15, and a weekly ticket costs €49. We did a lot of research and scoured the entire town for a cheaper alternative, but finally gave up and drove to this parking garage.

Renting a bike

We spent the first few hours strolling through Kühlungsborn East and along the beach before renting a bike from “Burghardt Fahrradvermietung.” A bike costs between €8 and €12 per day, depending on the provider. We paid €10 for our super comfortable and robust bikes. We used them to explore the city forest, Kühlungsborn West, and a few highlights in the surrounding area. We can already say this much: It was the best decision ever!

Our tip: Get your bike as early as possible so you can still get one. Kühlungsborn is very busy in the summer, and so the demand for bikes was huge. Our rental company gave us his last two bikes, and it was only 11 a.m. at the time. At other rental companies, we couldn’t get a bike at all or would have had to wait in line for a long time.

Sights and Highlights

There is indeed a lot to see and discover in Kühlungsborn. We’ve marked some spots and highlights for you on the map. We definitely recommend renting a bike. This way, you’ll be mobile and get from A to B faster. The eastern and western districts, in particular, are quite a bit apart.

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The Kühlungsborn pier

From the parking garage, we headed straight to the bridge forecourt and the pier. The walk is short and only took us 5 to 7 minutes. The bridge is 240 meters long and offers a truly fantastic view of the beach, Germany’s longest Baltic Sea beach promenade (3.2 km), and the sea. Did you know that there are a total of 19 piers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania? I think we still have a lot to do here in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Source: www.auf-nach-mv.de).

Excursion tip: The MS Baltica also departs from the Kühlungsborn pier and sails to Warnemünde. If you’re staying longer, you can take a wonderful day trip there and cruise along the coast. It departs at 10 a.m. in Kühlungsborn. You’ll have a three-hour stopover in Warnemünde before returning. The tour costs €24.50 per person. Prices and departure times can be found here: MS Baltica.

GDR Border Tower

From the pier, we continued on to the next highlight, the former GDR Border Tower. It’s hard to miss and should definitely not be missed on your trip. There, you’ll find a small exhibition with background information, newspaper articles, and other stories. The tower was built in 1972 and was one of a total of 27 border towers along the GDR coast. Now you might be wondering why these towers were built?

From there, they wanted to prevent escape attempts and monitor shipping movements. Many people, known as “Republic Refugees,” attempted to escape from the GDR by sea. They used air mattresses, rubber dinghies, and homemade submarines. Many of them, of course, did not survive these escape attempts or were caught. There is a tower museum on site, which was unfortunately closed during our visit.

Seaside Architecture on the Baltic Sea

We love not only the sea and the beaches on the coast, but also the beautiful seaside architecture of the 19th century. Kühlungsborn is dotted with pretty villas and houses. Especially in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, you can admire such beautiful buildings in many seaside resorts (e.g., on Usedom and Rügen).

Villas are still being built in this style to preserve the identity of the seaside resorts. The resort’s architecture is characterized by influences from classicism, historicism, and Art Nouveau, among others. It is precisely these many different elements and eras that make this architecture unique.

The long sandy beach and promenade

Most vacationers certainly come to the Baltic Sea resort of Kühlungsborn to enjoy time by the sea. The beach promenade is almost 4 kilometers long, making it the longest in Germany. Here you will find numerous cafés, restaurants, shops, playgrounds, and accommodations. The promenade also connects the east and west of Kühlungsborn. Just let yourself go and discover the many beautiful buildings of typical seaside architecture.

Of course, you should also spend a few hours at the beach. Whether in a beach chair or on a towel, the soft, light sand invites you to relax and sunbathe. The widest section is right at the harbor; there are also nudist and dog beaches. More information about the beaches, beach chair rentals, and the marina can be found here: www.kuehlungsborn.de.

Note: A tourist tax of €2 per person per day is payable at the machine or in the small dune houses.

Kühlungsborn City Forest

As we already mentioned at the beginning, Kühlungsborn is nicknamed the “Green City by the Sea.” The reason for this is the green city forest, which “divides” the Baltic Sea resort into its eastern and western parts. Various paths lead through the forest, which you can explore on foot or by bike. This green oasis offers some cooling and pleasant shade, especially on hot days.

Stone Educational Trail

After our ride through the forest, we accidentally discovered the “Stone Educational Trail.” This is a path lined with boulders, most of which date back to the last Ice Age. Next to each stone, you’ll find a small information panel with details about its origin and age. It’s kind of strange to be standing next to a stone that’s 1.6 billion years old. Crazy, right? It is also striking that most of the stones come from Sweden or Denmark.

Off to the fields and meadows

After we had explored Kühlungsborn East and West, we rode our bikes towards Riedensee, past the campsite to Kägsdorf. The ride through the meadows and fields was simply magical and incredibly idyllic. The sun was shining, the sky was a beautiful blue, and we cycled through the area feeling happy and content. All around us were colorful wildflowers, yellow-green cornfields, the buzzing of bees, and the occasional shady tree.

Our destination was the Buk Lighthouse in Bastorf. By bike, it’s best to cycle through Kägsdorf and continue to Bastorf. From there, the road “Zum Leuchtturm” (To the Lighthouse) branches off. This is the only way to reach the destination by car or bike. The other shortcuts are not permitted on bikes – pedestrians only.

Buk Lighthouse in Bastorf

The Buk Lighthouse in Bastorf is topographically the highest lighthouse in Germany, even though it’s one of the smaller ones. This tower is over 100 years old and offers a fantastic view of Kühlungsborn, the fields, the sea, and the Baltic Sea resort of Rerik. You can climb the 55 steps and enjoy the view year-round between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. (until 5 p.m. in summer). Admission is only €2.50. There is also a restaurant with a sun terrace on site.

Gasthof Bastorf

And while you’re there, you can also make a detour to the Gasthof Bastorf. Here you’ll find a farm market, accommodations, a farm restaurant, and a garden. There’s also a wellness center with saunas, a whirlpool, and relaxation rooms. The mighty beams of the thatched-roof barn, the herb garden, and the wonderfully idyllic atmosphere are particularly beautiful. In the farm shop, you’ll find homemade specialties, regional delicacies, and all sorts of pretty things.

More Highlights in Kühlungsborn & Surroundings

During our research, we read that a hike in Kühlungsborn is supposed to be very beautiful. We’ll do that next time. A ride on the nostalgic steam locomotive “Molli” is also definitely cool, albeit very touristy. If you have more time, you should also check out the beautiful Baltic Sea resorts of Heiligendamm and Rerik. We can recommend a bike tour between these places. More about this here: Baltic Sea Cycle Route – Our tour from Heiligendamm to Rerik. A detour to Bad Doberan is also highly recommended, as it is home to, among other things, the beautiful Doberan Minster. It is considered one of the most important Brick Gothic buildings in Northern Germany.

Hotels in Kühlungsborn

We did not stay overnight in Kühlungsborn, as we live in the immediate vicinity. Nevertheless, we’ve done thorough research for you and picked out a few gems that we would book ourselves. But it’s best to decide for yourself how and where you want to stay.

Beautiful and really cool apartments await you here, just 500 meters from the beach. There’s a sauna in the garden, sun loungers on the roof, and often live music. Be sure to check out the pictures; we think this accommodation is fantastic at first glance!

5 out of 5 points on Tripadvisor

feels Beach Club Hotel

Click here to book*

We drove past this hotel several times and thought the outdoor seating area with its surfing look was super cool. The hotel has a sailing and surfing school, and you can also rent boats. The hotel’s decor also looks cool in the pictures, with lots of wood and lots of color. That would be a hotel right up our alley.

4 out of 5 points on Tripadvisor

Book here*

The Hotel Max is very centrally yet quietly located near the green Lindenpark in the eastern part of Kühlungsborn. The rooms are stylishly furnished in a boutique style with modern furniture and balconies. The hotel restaurant, Wings & Drums, is also very popular, featuring a vintage loft-style interior. According to previous guests, the Moritz Bar serves delicious coffee and cocktails.

4.5 out of 5 points on Tripadvisor

We also cycled past this hotel. It’s a 4-star superior hotel with two restaurants, a café, and a large wellness area with saunas and a pool. Everything here is decorated in a chic maritime style. It’s just 100 meters to the sea, so it’s a great location.

4.5 out of 5 points on Tripadvisor

Conclusion on the Baltic Sea resort of Kühlungsborn

We had a wonderful day in the Baltic Sea resort of Kühlungsborn and can only recommend this place to everyone. Touristy or not, it’s still incredibly beautiful. We especially loved the surroundings: the light, soft sandy beach, the pier with its view, and the abundance of greenery in Kühlungsborn.

The town also seems so “spruced up, tidy, and clean.” Driving past, the campsite seemed very full, and all the RVs were parked very close together. That wouldn’t be for us, but it’s also a matter of taste. Ostseebad Kühlungsborn? Absolutely, whether for a day or for a longer period.

Our video of Ostseebad Kühlungsborn

More impressions