Harbours in Ribnitz-Damgarten: Getting There, Harbour Info and Sailing Destinations

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Ribnitz-Damgarten lies on the southeast shore of the Saaler Bodden. Visiting yachts moor at the Ribnitz town harbour on the Ribnitzer See or at the small Damgarten harbour on the Recknitz. Here you can read how to get to the start of your sailing trip, where the harbours are, where to park and shop, what sailing weather to expect, which sailing destinations in the chain of Bodden lagoons are close by, and what skippers should bear in mind when mooring.

Where are the harbours in Ribnitz-Damgarten?

Yachts can moor at three places in Ribnitz-Damgarten. The Ribnitz town harbour is in the Ribnitz district on the street Am See: in the west, the harbour basin is protected from the Ribnitzer See by a mole, and pontoons lead from the harbour forecourt into the basin. Further east, in front of the playground and the grounds of the Segel-Club Ribnitz, are the pontoons at the Segel-Club Ribnitz. Both parts belong to the town harbour. Between them, the passenger boat departs from the landing stage in the middle.

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Damgarten harbour is considerably smaller. It lies in the east of the town in the Damgarten district, on the bank of the Recknitz, shortly before the river flows into the Ribnitzer See.

Arriving for the start of your sailing trip in Ribnitz-Damgarten

Ribnitz-Damgarten lies between Rostock and Stralsund. The most convenient way to get there is by train. Most destinations in the Ribnitz district, including the town harbour, can be reached on foot from Ribnitz-Damgarten West station; it is around 1 kilometre to the town harbour.

From Rostock-Laage Airport to Ribnitz-Damgarten

Rostock-Laage Airport is located at the junction of the A19 and A20 motorways, around 28 kilometres from Rostock. From the airport you can continue by hire car, which you book in advance, or by the on-demand bus "rubi", which must also be booked in advance.

If you arrive via one of the major airports such as Hamburg, take the train to Rostock and change there to the Regionalexpress to Ribnitz-Damgarten. Long-distance trains also run direct.

By train, bus or boat

Ribnitz-Damgarten has two railway stations: Ribnitz-Damgarten West on Bahnhofstraße, serving the Ribnitz district and the town harbour, and Ribnitz-Damgarten Ost on Richtenberger Straße, near Damgarten. The Regionalexpress RE 9 runs roughly hourly in both directions during the day. ICE and IC trains also stop at Ribnitz-Damgarten West, including direct services via Rostock to Hamburg. This reflects the timetable as it currently stands (November 2026).

Buses within the town and to the surrounding area are run by the Verkehrsgesellschaft Vorpommern-Rügen (VVR). In season, a passenger boat links Ribnitz town harbour daily with Dierhagen and Wustrow on the Fischland.

Parking

Right by Ribnitz town harbour, on the street Am See, is the pay-and-display car park Parkplatz Hafen Ribnitz, about 100 metres from the harbour basin. You can buy your ticket at the machine or by smartphone using EasyPark or mobilet. For free parking, use the Parkplatz Gänsewiese car park, about 400 metres to the west on the Ribnitzer See. It is also suitable for larger vehicles and boat trailers.

At Damgarten harbour there is a free car park on Schillstraße. The car parks at both railway stations are also free of charge.

Showers and sanitary facilities

Ribnitz town harbour has shower and WC facilities in the harbour building, as well as public toilets. At the Segel-Club Ribnitz there are additional shower and WC containers; visiting boaters in the harbour receive the access code. At Damgarten harbour, the showers and WC are in the harbour pavilion, open daily from 7 am to 8 pm.

Shopping for the trip

The nearest supermarket, a Nahkauf, is about 550 metres from Ribnitz town harbour. Netto and Penny are each about 750 metres away on foot. Larger stores are famila, about 1 kilometre away, and Aldi, about 1.1 kilometres away; for a big shop, it is best to go by car. Shops, bakeries and cafés can be found in the old town, a few minutes' walk away. At the harbour itself, a fishing cutter sells fish rolls and smoked fish, such as eel or mackerel.

Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services

The nearest pharmacies, the Apotheke am Bodden and the Forellen-Apotheke, are each about 400 metres from the town harbour in the old town. Several doctors' surgeries can be found about 900 metres from the harbour in the town centre. The hospital of the Bodden-Kliniken Ribnitz-Damgarten is about 1.5 kilometres from the town harbour.

• 112: Ambulance service, emergency doctor and fire brigade
• 110: Police
• 116 117: out-of-hours medical service
• On the water: VHF channel 16 or DSC on channel 70, call sign “Bremen Rescue”, the maritime rescue coordination centre of the Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger (DGzRS); by telephone around the clock on +49 421 53687-0. From German mobile networks, you can also reach the rescue coordination centre near the coast via the short code 124 124.

Where is Ribnitz town harbour?

Ribnitz town harbour lies on the northern edge of the old town on the street Am See, with a view across the Ribnitzer See. It is the larger of the two municipal harbours and holds the “Gelbe Welle” award for water-ramblers.

The Boddenradweg cycle route runs along the harbour promenade towards Fischland-Darß-Zingst. At the harbour there is a fish restaurant with a terrace, another restaurant overlooking the lake and a large wooden playground right by the water. The pontoons and promenade are accessible with few barriers.

Facilities at Ribnitz town harbour

There are ten visitor berths for guests, and the water in the harbour basin is two metres deep. Visiting boats moor at the outer mole, where you have about 1.80 metres of water. Electricity and water are available at the jetties, both paid for at coin-operated machines. The slipway is free to use.

The harbour has no fixed crane; a mobile crane is brought in for craning. Ribnitz-Damgarten has boat supplies, workshops and a shipyard. There is no boat fuel station in the harbour; the nearest waterside fuel stations are in Zingst, Vitte on Hiddensee, Schaprode, Sassnitz and Stralsund.

Where is Damgarten harbour?

Damgarten harbour lies in the quiet Damgarten district on the bank of the Recknitz, right next to Schillstraße. It is an official stopover for water-ramblers and the base of a rowing club, and a canoe hire business also makes it a starting point for paddling trips into the Untere Recknitztal.

Facilities at Damgarten harbour

The harbour has three visitor berths for motorboats and other small craft. The harbour basin is two metres deep, while the approach via a buoyed channel is no more than 1.80 metres. Electricity is available at the landing stage, and the charges are the same as at Ribnitz town harbour. There are showers and WC in the harbour pavilion, as well as a free slipway and parking for boat trailers.

Comparing the harbours in Ribnitz-Damgarten

Ribnitz town harbour has more visitor berths and lies right by the old town, while Damgarten harbour is smaller and quieter.

Feature	Ribnitz town harbour	Damgarten harbour
Location	Ribnitz district, Am See, on the Ribnitzer See	Damgarten district, on the Recknitz
Operator	Town of Ribnitz-Damgarten, harbour master of Segel-Club Ribnitz	Town of Ribnitz-Damgarten, harbour master of RSV 1919
Guest berths	10	3
Water depth in harbour basin	2.00 m, about 1.80 m at the outer mole	2,00 m
Access	buoyed channel, maximum 1.80 m	buoyed channel, maximum 1.80 m, ± 20 cm depending on wind
Berth fees for visiting yachts	€1 per metre of overall length and per 24 hours or part thereof	Same as Ribnitz
Electricity and water	At the pontoons, via coin-operated machines	Shore power at the landing stage
Showers	In the harbour building and in containers at the Segel-Club	In the harbour pavilion, 7 am to 8 pm
Slipway	Yes, free of charge	Yes, free of charge
Parking	Am See (charge applies), Gänsewiese (free)	Schillstraße (free)
Contact	segel-club-ribnitz.de	Phone 0152 01859146

Berthing fees are charged in line with the town's harbour dues regulations (as at November 2026).

What is the weather like for sailing in Ribnitz-Damgarten?

The Saaler Bodden and the Ribnitzer See are shallow. The waves on them are fewer and smaller than on the open Baltic Sea, which is why they are regarded as a good sailing area for beginners. For the coast between Fehmarn and Rügen, the Deutscher Wetterdienst issues coastal warnings around the clock: a wind warning from Beaufort 6 and a storm warning from Beaufort 8.

Tides play no role here; the water level is determined by the wind. Persistent north-easterly winds pile water up on the German Baltic coast, while strong south-westerly winds make it drop. In the approach to Damgarten, the depth varies by around 20 centimetres depending on the wind.

In late spring, when warm air moves over the still-cold Baltic water, sea fog forms along the coast. Visibility can then suddenly drop sharply.

Which sailing destinations are near Ribnitz-Damgarten?

From Ribnitz you sail across the Saaler Bodden to the Fischland and the Darß, and on eastwards through the Bodden waters as far as Zingst and Barth. All the destinations lie in shallow water, where you keep to the buoyed channels.

• Saaler Bodden: The sailing area right outside the harbour, with the Fischland to the west and Dierhagen to the north-west. On the eastern shore lies the harbour of Neuendorf bei Saal with 15 visitor berths; the approach has a nominal depth of 1.6 metres, and outside the channel it is very shallow.
• Wustrow: The Fischländer Hafen lies on the western shore of the Saaler Bodden. There you will find a stopover for water-touring boaters, a sailing school, a fish smokehouse and a fish restaurant. In season, a passenger boat runs daily via Dierhagen to Ribnitz-Damgarten.
• Born: The village stretches from the Saaler Bodden in the west to the Koppelstrom in the south and has several new pontoons and a harbour master at the municipal pier. The harbour holds the Blue Flag and the Gelbe Welle (Yellow Wave).
• Zingst: The municipal harbour is on the Bodden side of the seaside resort, with a pontoon for motorboats and sailing boats about 500 metres further east on the Zingster Strom. Through the pedestrian zone you reach the Baltic beach in a few minutes. Zingst has a fuel station on the water.
• Barth: The harbour of Barth is a large harbour in the Bodden waters between Barhöft and Ribnitz-Damgarten. A repair yard lies to the west of the town harbour.

You can read more about the sailing area on the Strelasund in the profile of harbours in Stralsund. To the west, on the open coast, lies the Rostock City Harbour.

What can you do on a harbour day in Ribnitz-Damgarten?

Ribnitz-Damgarten calls itself the Amber Town (Bernsteinstadt). You can reach most of the sights in the Ribnitz district on foot from the town harbour.

• Deutsches Bernsteinmuseum (German Amber Museum): Germany's largest specialist museum for Baltic amber displays more than 1,600 pieces, including inclusions containing prehistoric insects. In the demonstration workshop you can see how amber is worked.
• Ribnitz Convent (Kloster Ribnitz): Founded in 1323 as a Poor Clares convent, later a Protestant convent for noblewomen. The Brick Gothic convent church houses an exhibition on the history of the convent and the region.
• St. Marien Town Church: Its tower once served as a seamark for ships on the Bodden. If you climb the tower, you can see across the town and the Bodden as far as the Baltic Sea.
• Rostocker Tor (Rostock Gate): The only surviving town gate dates from the 15th century and marks the entrance to the town centre. Historic evening tours also start here.
• Harbour promenade: Sculptures such as the “Fischländer Muse” line the promenade, looking out over the Bodden, and by the water the large wooden playground is a draw for families.

For skippers: berthing and marine weather in Ribnitz-Damgarten

At Ribnitz town harbour, you register with the harbour master after mooring and check out again before departure. The harbour authority assigns your berth.

Registration and Berthing

The obligation to register and check out is set out in the town's harbour regulations. The harbour authority is the mayor, and the harbour master carries out its duties. Permanent berths are marked and reserved for permanent berth holders.

As a visitor, you moor at the outer mole in Ribnitz town harbour. In the season, the harbour master comes by in the early evening to collect the mooring fee: 1 euro per metre of overall length for each 24 hours or part thereof, and one and a half times that for multihulls. You pay in cash on board and receive a receipt. Electricity is not included in the mooring fee, and the tourist tax is added on top. If you stay for no more than eight hours and do not stay overnight, you pay no mooring fee.

Harbour rules

The harbour regulations apply in Ribnitz town harbour and in Damgarten harbour.

• In the harbour area, the speed limit is 4 knots.
• You may only change your assigned berth with the consent of the harbour authority.
• Secure your boat so that it does not endanger other boats when the water level changes or waves come in.
• Swimming is prohibited in the harbour, and fishing is only allowed if it does not obstruct anyone.
• The harbour authority may prohibit noisy work on board.

Approaching through the chain of Bodden lagoons

A buoyed channel with a maximum depth of 1.80 metres leads to Ribnitz town harbour and to Damgarten. Stay within the line of buoys, as the Bodden is shallow outside it. In the town harbour, you enter between the two pierheads; the passenger boat berths at the landing stage in the middle.

On the way east, parts of the Bodden waters lie within the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park. The federal navigation regulations apply there: in the protection zones, motorised boats may travel at no more than 12 knots in the fairway and no more than 8 knots outside it. In marked water areas, for example in parts of the Bodstedter Bodden, motorboats are prohibited from leaving the fairway, and in some areas sailing boats are too. Direct access to harbours and authorised landing stages remains permitted. The restricted areas are marked on the official BSH charts. Information is available from the Nationalparkamt Vorpommern, the water police in Rostock and Stralsund, and the Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamt (Waterways and Shipping Office).

Which marine weather forecast applies in Ribnitz-Damgarten?

The marine weather forecast issued by the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) for the North Sea and Baltic Sea applies. For the Bodden coast, the DWD coastal warnings for the section from east of Fehmarn to Rügen are the relevant ones. You can read the current forecast on the DWD sea weather page, and the warnings on the coastal warnings page.

Sailing trips from Ribnitz-Damgarten on Törnfinder

You will find sailing trips along the German coast under Sailing in Germany, all offers in the sailing area under Sailing in the Baltic Sea and all sailing areas in the trip overview.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Ribnitz town harbour by train?

Take the regional express RE 9 to Ribnitz-Damgarten West. It runs roughly hourly during the day from Rostock and from Stralsund. From the station it is about 1 kilometre on foot to the town harbour.

Where can I park at the start of my sailing trip in Ribnitz-Damgarten?

Right at the town harbour in the pay car park Hafen Ribnitz, or free of charge on the Gänsewiese, about 400 metres to the west. At Hafen Damgarten you can park for free in Schillstraße.

Are there showers at Stadthafen Ribnitz?

Yes, in the harbour building and in the shower and WC containers at the Segel-Club Ribnitz. As a visiting boat in the harbour, you will be given the code for the containers.

How deep is the approach to Ribnitz-Damgarten?

A maximum of 1.80 metres in the buoyed channel, and two metres in the harbour basin. The water level varies with the wind.

How much does a visitor berth in Ribnitz-Damgarten cost?

1 euro per metre of length overall for each 24 hours or part thereof, and one and a half times that for multihulls (as of November 2026). Electricity and spa tax are extra; anyone staying for no more than eight hours without an overnight stay pays nothing.

Can you refuel in Ribnitz-Damgarten?

No, there is no fuel dock for boats. The nearest waterside fuel stations are in Zingst, Vitte, Schaprode, Sassnitz and Stralsund.