Hanse Sail 2027 in Rostock: Dates, Cabin Charter and Getting There

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The Hanse Sail 2027 runs from 5 to 8 August 2027 in Rostock and Warnemünde. Once again, tall ships, traditional sailing vessels and museum ships will berth between the City Harbour and the pier, and on many of them you can join a sailing trip for a few hours yourself.

When is the Hanse Sail 2027?

The Hanse Sail 2027 begins on Thursday, 5 August, and ends on Sunday, 8 August 2027. The event is traditionally held on the second weekend in August and runs from Thursday to Sunday.

The following years are already confirmed too: in 2028 the Hanse Sail is scheduled for 10 to 13 August, in 2029 for 9 to 12 August (as of October 2026). The detailed programme for 2027 has not yet been published; the organiser announces individual programme items gradually. The sailing trips, however, are already listed by day, from Wednesday, 4 August, to Sunday, 8 August.

The partner country is the country that held the presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States before the event. For 2027 that is Iceland, following Poland as partner country in 2026.

What is the Hanse Sail?

The Hanse Sail is a maritime festival featuring traditional ships, held in Rostock since 1991. The organiser describes it as the world's largest annual gathering of traditional sailing vessels.

The idea arose shortly after reunification. A Bremen merchant had experienced a tall ship festival in Bremerhaven in 1990 and wanted to establish something comparable in Rostock. The city took up the proposal; in December 1990 a corresponding proposal was put before the Rostock city council. The event was intended to make the open borders and cooperation with Eastern Europe visible. For the first edition, around 20 pontoons were built as berths, and many Rostock residents offered private accommodation.

Today the scale is different. At the 35th Hanse Sail in August 2026, according to the city, around 120 ships from seven nations attended, along with about 500,000 visitors. Over 200 performers appeared on 20 stages, spread across seven festival areas. The fleet includes tall ships, historic traditional sailing vessels, museum ships and modern support craft.

Where are the ships berthed? City Harbour, Warnemünde and other venues

The majority of the fleet berths in Rostock City Harbour on the Warnow; further venues are in Warnemünde, at Hohe Düne, in the IGA Park and on the Gehlsdorf waterfront.

City Harbour and city centre

In the City Harbour over 100 traditional and museum ships moor. In 2026 this area also hosted the big wheel, stages and market stalls. The area extends into the city centre: in 2026, for example, there was a regional market in Breite Straße and further attractions at Universitätsplatz and in front of the Kröpeliner Tor. On Saturday evening the City Harbour is traditionally the venue for the grand fireworks display.

Warnemünde and Hohe Düne

In Warnemünde the action centres on the estuary. From the pier, the promenade and the beach you can watch the ships travelling between the Warnow and the Baltic Sea. In 2026 a commentator at the stand in Warnemünde described what was happening on the water; the official opening took place in the Kurhaus gardens.

Hohe Düne on the other side of the shipping channel can be reached by ferry from Warnemünde. In 2026 the naval base there was open to visitors; around 22,000 people visited it from Friday to Sunday. Whether there will be such a visitors' day again in 2027 has not yet been confirmed.

IGA Park and Gehlsdorf

In the IGA Park the emphasis is on children and families, with the Maritime Mile, water sports, craft streets and cutter races. The Gehlsdorf waterfront opposite the old town is linked to the City Harbour by a harbour ferry. Which ship berths where is shown in the list of participating vessels and berths for 2027, which the organiser is continually updating.

How does sailing on traditional ships at the Hanse Sail work?

You book a place for a day or evening trip on one of the participating ships, online via the Hanse Sail sailing trips page or at the Hanse Sail office at Warnowufer 65 in Rostock. Proceeds from the trips go towards the maintenance of the historic ships.

For 2027 the sailing days from 4 to 8 August are already listed, but a booking start date has not yet been announced (as of October 2026). The number of places is limited. The scale of demand is shown by the previous year: in 2026, 15,225 tickets were sold for 372 trips, a large proportion of them long before the festival. Occasionally individual places become available at short notice.

Prices for the 2027 trips have not yet been published; the organiser does not issue a general price list (as of October 2026). If you would like to give a trip as a gift, you can buy vouchers online for day trips, evening trips or multi-day trips. Vouchers purchased online can only be redeemed online; paper vouchers only at the booking centre at Warnowufer; cash payment is not possible.

In addition to the trips during the festival, in previous years there were multi-day sailing trips to the Hanse Sail or onwards from there, and crew members could also join regattas of the traditional ships off Warnemünde. What will be offered in 2027 is not yet known. For guests with disabilities there was a dedicated offering on a two-master in 2026; whether this will be repeated in 2027 can be answered by the Hanse Sail office.

Why places are becoming scarcer

The fleet of traditional ships is shrinking. According to the Hanse Sail, stricter safety regulations for traditional ships have applied in Germany than in other countries since 2018; the traditional ship certificate must be renewed every five years (as of 2025). German traditional ships are mostly sailed by volunteers and are generally only allowed to carry up to twelve passengers, with exceptions at maritime festivals, for example. Some ships lack the certificate, others lack successors for ageing owners. The organisers themselves therefore speak of the sailing-along offering becoming more exclusive. For you that means: it pays to look early.

Practical matters for the trip

Even on a warm August day it is noticeably fresher on the Baltic Sea than on land. Take a windproof jacket with you, shoes with light-coloured, non-slip soles and sun protection. On the deck of a traditional sailing ship there is a lot of rigging and fittings, so guests follow the instructions of the permanent crew, particularly when setting and furling the sails. In strong winds, trips may be cancelled or postponed. In 2026 the wind was a problem on Thursday and Friday, and a total of 277 crew members had to be rebooked because of changed or cancelled trips. If you are prone to seasickness, you will find general advice in the article Seas and wellbeing general information.

How do you get to the Hanse Sail? Travel by train, S-Bahn and ferry

The easiest way to travel is by train to Rostock Hauptbahnhof and from there by tram to the city harbour or by S-Bahn to Warnemünde. During the Hanse Sail the transport company significantly increases the frequency.

Train and S-Bahn

Rostock Hauptbahnhof is served by long-distance and regional trains. The S-Bahn runs between Hauptbahnhof and Warnemünde. In 2026 it ran at 10-minute intervals during the day on Saturday and Sunday, at 15-minute intervals from Thursday to Saturday evenings until 11.30 pm, and continuously every 30 minutes on the nights from Friday to Sunday morning; the trains were twice as long as usual. For the Stralsund–Rostock route, ICE and IC were available for the Deutschlandticket in 2026. The timetable for 2027 has not yet been published (as of October 2026); current information is compiled by the Verkehrsverbund Warnow.

Tram and changing between venues

You can reach the city harbour by tram via the stops Lange Straße, Kröpeliner Tor, Stadthafen and Doberaner Platz. Between the city harbour and Warnemünde you combine tram and S-Bahn and change at Hauptbahnhof or at Parkstraße station. You can best reach the IGA Park by S-Bahn to Lütten Klein. On the nights to Saturday and Sunday in 2026, trams and many buses ran until about 2 am, followed by night buses. Roadworks can alter the network; in 2026 it was divided during the Hanse Sail because of roadworks.

Ferries

Two ferries run all day between Warnemünde and Hohe Düne during the festival. Because there is a lot of ship traffic in the sea canal and demand is high, you must expect waiting times. Between Gehlsdorf and Kabutzenhof at the city harbour there were additional sailings in 2026.

Tickets and car

The Deutschlandticket was valid in 2026 on all buses, trains and ferries of the transport association, including the Warnow ferries. Overnight guests can use buses, trams, S-Bahn and regional trains with the GästeCard Rostock & Warnemünde; the Warnow ferries are excluded. If you come by car, it is best to park it at one of the signposted park-and-ride sites. Accommodation is in very high demand during the Hanse Sail; the organiser recommends booking early.

What is on the programme for 2027? Fireworks and highlights

The detailed programme for 2027 has not yet been published (as of October 2026). A fireworks display on Saturday evening over the city harbour has so far been a regular part of the schedule.

In recent years there have been two fireworks displays: on Thursday over the Baltic Sea off Warnemünde, launched from a work vessel in front of the pier, and on Saturday over the city harbour. In 2026 both were scheduled for 10.30 pm; the Thursday fireworks were cancelled because of wind and waves. Whether there will again be fireworks off Warnemünde in 2027 will be announced by the organiser with the programme.

In addition to the trips out, the programme includes stages with live music, maritime markets and culinary offerings, divided into the experience areas SAIL-LIVE, SAIL-FLAIR and SAIL-FUN. What the partner country Iceland will contribute in 2027 has not yet been published.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Hanse Sail charge admission?

No. The festival site is freely accessible. Costs only arise for cabin charter trips, fairground rides, food and drinks. Bringing your own food is permitted, but the organiser asks you to avoid glass (see Organiser's answers).

From when can I book cabin charter trips for Hanse Sail 2027?

The sailing days from 4 to 8 August 2027 are already listed on the Hanse Sail page, but a booking start date and prices have not yet been announced (as of October 2026). Since most places were allocated early in 2026, it's worth checking regularly.

When is the fireworks display at Hanse Sail 2027?

The fireworks over the city harbour traditionally take place on Saturday evening; in 2027 that would be 7 August. The date and time for 2027 have not yet been published; in 2026 it was scheduled for 22:30.

How do I get from the city harbour to Warnemünde?

Take the tram to the main station or to Parkstraße station and from there the S-Bahn to Warnemünde.

When is Hanse Sail 2028?

The planned dates are 10 to 13 August 2028, again from Thursday to Sunday (as of October 2026).

Sailing on in the Baltic Sea

If a few hours on a traditional sailing vessel leave you wanting more, you can explore the Baltic over a whole week. On Törnfinder you'll find offers for Sailing in the Baltic Sea, places on regatta sailing and in the trip overview all sailing areas and dates at a glance.