Every year on the 2nd weekend in August, more than 100 sailing ships arrive in Rostock to celebrate a maritime festival with up to one million visitors on the river Warnow over four days. The "world premiere" took place in 1991, when, after the political changes in the country and under still very difficult economic conditions, an international maritime event was launched, which still inspires many people every year.

The Hanse Sail takes place in the sea area off Rostock-Warnemünde, on the river Warnow in the area of the city harbour, on the quays, along "Am Alten Strom" in Warnemünde and in the base of the German Navy "Hohe Düne", who is a partner of the Hanse Sail. The park of the former International Gardening Exhibition IGA-Park, the old Fishing port and todays Business port in Rostock-Marienehe and the banks of Gehlsdorf are locations for different events during the festival days too. In addition to the maritime events, the Hanse Sail offers a folk festival at the shore side with attractive rides, stage concerts, cabaret and culinary specialties too.

The Hanse Sail has steadily changed and developed over the years of its existence. For example, there have been accompanying sea plane shows or sailor meetings. Historic trains set course to Rostock. Various regattas with traditional sailing ships took place. A flag parade or the parade of nations with special ships of the Sail provided emotional highlights. There was a "beer mile" organized by breweries from all over Germany, show trucks on the visitor mile, beauty contests, water ski shows, shanty choir singing, championships in stand up paddling and a fair trade area with cargo sailing ships.

Repeating highlights of the Hanse-Sail Rostock have been so far

• the opening on Thursday on a stage in the city harbor,
• the medieval market at the former warehouses, where the replicas of the cogs and other Hanseatic ships could be admired,
• numerous concerts on stages, from traditional to modern,
• Open Ship on the large sailtraining ships in Warnemünde,
• the presentation of a partner country with special offers on the market,
• the meeting of the gunners with salute for the sailing ships and
• the two aerial fireworks in Warnemünde and in the city harbor on Saturday evening.

The focus of the Hanse Sail is set to the traditional sailing ships and steamers. There is always a wide range of guest sailing trips available. The incoming and outgoing sailing ships can be watched very well from land if you linger at the pier heads in Warnemünde. A place on the east pier is still an insider tip for "ship spotting". Traditionally, the biggest fleets come from Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. Every year large sailtraining ships are present in Rostock, including several times the "Gorch Fock II" - sailtraining ship of the German Navy. But there are not only traditional sailing ships present at Hanse Sail. You can also see cruise ships, ferries, naval ships and hundreds of pleasure boats.

There are even two ships that have participated in every Hanse Sail since 1991 to 2019. One of them is the brigantine "Greif", which often acts as the flagship of the Hanse Sail, and the other is the steam icebreaker "Stettin". It is always difficult to point out certain sailing ships, but as representatives of the Dutch fleet, I would like to mention the "J.R. Tolkien" and the "Loth Lorien" as particularly loyal guests, the Russian sailtraining ships "Kruzenshtern" and "Sedov", the "Khersonec", which at that time sailed under the Ukrainian flag, the Hanseatic cogs and the Haikutter, representing German sailing ships. Each year sailing ships come to the Hanse Sail that have not participated yet or that I had not seen before.

The Hanse Sail Rostock is a partner in the Baltic Sail association with ports for sailing ships in the entire Baltic Sea region. Starting in 1997, the Hiorten Regatta from Karlskrona in Sweden to Rostock was organized for several years in the run-up to the Hanse Sail. Since 2009 the  Haikutter regatta from Nysted in Denmark to Rostock marks the begin of the Hanse Sail.

Further reading:

Peter Rath:
"Hanse Sail Rostock - Wo man sich begegnet",
Hanse Sail Verein Rostock zur Förderung traditioneller Schifffahrt in der Ostsee e.V., 2005

Peter Rath, Günter Senf:
"Auf sicherem Kurs, Hanse Sail Rostock - Wo man sich begegnet",
Hanse Sail Verein Rostock zur Förderung traditioneller Schifffahrt in der Ostsee e.V., 2010

Hanse Sail Rostock