St. Peter’s Church, Rostock

St. Peter's Church, Rostock tickets: which one to buy

Saint Peter's Church, the Petrikirche, stands on a hill in the eastern part of Rostock's old town, near the old market square, the Alter Markt, and the river Warnow, and entry to the church is free, while the tower viewing platform, reached by a lift or stairs, is ticketed. The tower gives a panoramic view over Rostock, the harbour and, on clear days, the Baltic Sea at Warnemünde.

It is the oldest of Rostock's three main churches. Walking tours of Rostock combine Saint Peter's with Saint Mary's Church and its astronomical clock, the New Market and Town Hall, the city walls and the harbour. Rostock is a stop for Baltic cruise passengers, who often take a tour of the city. The church is an active Lutheran parish, and visits pause during services. Tickets for the tower are sold at the church entrance.

Visiting St. Peter's Church, Rostock: what to see

The church was built in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries in the Brick Gothic style, on the site of the first settlement of Rostock, and its tall spire, 117 metres high, served as a landmark for sailors on the Baltic Sea, visible from far out at sea. The spire was destroyed by bombing in 1942 and rebuilt only in 1994, after German reunification, with donations from citizens. The church's interior was badly damaged in the war and has been restored in a simple style. The church played a role in the Protestant Reformation in Rostock: a memorial recalls Joachim Slüter, a preacher who introduced the Reformation here in the sixteenth century and who is buried nearby.

The church's bells were recast after the war. The area around the church includes parts of the old city walls and a green space. The church's altar area holds a modern cross and a simple altar. Old gravestones and memorials line the walls. The tower's lift was installed during the reconstruction of the spire. A display in the church explains the history of the building and the Reformation in Rostock. The church's hill is the oldest part of the city, where the first settlers lived. The spire's height makes it visible from the Warnemünde beach on clear days. The church hosts concerts and exhibitions in summer.

St. Peter's Church, Rostock opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily, with longer hours in summer; the tower platform is open most days, closing in bad weather. Rostock is busy in August during the Hanse Sail festival, when tall ships fill the harbour. The Christmas market in December is one of the largest in northern Germany. The Baltic coast is often windy and cool. Clear days give the best views from the tower. Allow about twenty minutes for the church and thirty minutes for the tower, and walk down to the harbour and the Stadthafen promenade afterwards. The Kulturhistorisches Museum Rostock, in the former Holy Cross Convent, displays the city's history and art.