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Voykit pocket guide · Germany
Greifswald
Give Greifswald one full day plus a night: the old town, harbour and Eldena ruin fit in 24 hours; two nights if you want Wieck and the beach.
Greifswald is a small Hanseatic university town on the Baltic, 20 minutes by train from Stralsund and about 2 h 45 min from Berlin. The centre is compact and walkable, the river Ryck and the museum harbour sit at its edge, and the flat surroundings are best seen by bike. It works as a quiet one-night stop between Berlin and Rügen, not as a multi-day base.
- Country
- Germany
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (grey, wet, short days)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Card acceptance has improved but some bakeries, bars and small restaurants are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €85–140 excl. bed · High €140+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telekom, Vodafone and O2 are the networks; Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect and congstar resell them cheaply in supermarkets and electronics shops.
- Emergency
- Fire and ambulance 112 · Police 110 · Out-of-hours doctor 116 117
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or add 5–10%; say the total you want to pay as you hand over money or card.; Bar and café: Round up to the nearest euro.; Taxi: Round up by €1–2.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night, optional.; Free walking tour: €10–15 per person.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Restaurants usually sell bottled water; fizzy (mit Kohlensäure) is the default, ask for 'still' or 'ohne'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost €0.50–1.50 (Rail&Fresh WC); restaurant toilets are for customers; the 'WC' at motorway rest stops takes coins and gives a voucher.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and cake in a café | €4–8 |
| Lunch, budget café or imbiss | €8–14 |
| Dinner, mid-range restaurant | €15–28 |
| Beer, 0.5 l in a pub | €4–6 |
| Bus single ride in town | €2–3 |
| Museum entry | €5–10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HDF · Heringsdorf (Usedom)
- Seasonal service only; no rail link at the airport, so bus or taxi to the nearest station first.
- RLG · Rostock-Laage
- Mostly cruise traffic; no rail link at the airport.
- BER · Berlin Brandenburg
- Much more choice of flights, but about 3 h by train to Greifswald.
Typical fares
- Greifswald → Stralsund, regional train
- about €9, 20 min
- Greifswald → Berlin, train
- about €32, 2 h 45 min
- Taxi in town
- short hop €8–12
Get around
The centre is small and the streets are narrow: park on the edge and walk. Stadtwerke Greifswald runs six bus lines (1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 20), most of them through the ZOB bus station on the west side of the centre; routes can change by time of day. A bike is often the fastest option in a flat university town. Taxis wait at the station and the Markt.
See and do
Known for
- Hanseatic old town and Markt
- University founded 1456
- St Nikolai cathedral
- Museum harbour on the Ryck
- Eldena monastery ruin
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Stralsund | Regional train from Greifswald station, about 20 min | About 45 min |
| Rostock | Regional or IC train, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Peenemünde | Train to Zinnowitz or Wolgast, then bus; check connections | 2–2.5 h |
| Heringsdorf and Usedom | Train via Züssow and Wolgast, about 2 h | About 2 h |
| Wismar | Train via Rostock, about 2 h 30 min | About 2 h 45 min |
Sleep
- Old town around Markt and Lange Strasse
- Walk to everything; small hotels and guesthouses, few rooms, book ahead in summer.
- Near the station (Bahnhof)
- Best for a one-night rail stop with bags; 10–15 min walk to the Markt.
- Southwest outskirts (Am Gorzberg, near Bahnhof Süd)
- Chain and family hotels with parking; you need a bus or bike to reach the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hallohallo |
| Thank you | Dankedanke |
| Please | Bittebitte |
| Do you take card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit kar-te tsa-len |
| The bill, please | Die Rechnung, bittedee rekh-noong bit-te |
| Where is the station? | Wo ist der Bahnhof?vo ist dair bahn-hof |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake with eye contact; 'Guten Tag' or 'Hallo'; avoid: Hugs with people you have just met
- Names: Herr / Frau plus surname until invited to use first names; avoid: Using 'du' with officials or older strangers
- Punctuality: Arrive on time for tours, dinners and appointments; avoid: Being more than 5–10 minutes late without a message
- Queues and rules: Follow signs, wait at red lights, sort rubbish; avoid: Walking in cycle lanes
- Conversation: Direct and factual; people say what they mean; avoid: Taking directness as rudeness, or joking about the Nazi era
- Home visit: Bring flowers (odd number, not red roses) or wine; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving early
- Paying: Say the total including tip as you pay; avoid: Leaving coins on the table and walking off
Scams and watch-outs
- Card payment is not universal in smaller shops and some restaurants: carry some cash.
- Bus lines change route by time and day: check the board at the stop before you rely on a line.
- The Baltic here is shallow and can be cold even in August; the beach at Wieck is for walking more than swimming.
- Sunday: most shops closed, including Elisen Park.
Greifswald is a calm, low-crime university town; the practical risks are a dark, empty centre late at night, bicycles on the pavements and cold water on the Baltic coast.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Greifswald yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hanseatic old town and Markt
- University founded 1456
- St Nikolai cathedral
- Museum harbour on the Ryck
- Eldena monastery ruin
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Greifswald official site: www.greifswald.de/
- Stadtwerke Greifswald (local buses): www.sw-greifswald.de/
- Deutsche Bahn: www.bahn.de
- Wikivoyage: Greifswald, revision 5197772 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5197772
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Greifswald
Zu dieser Adresse, bitte
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Greifswald; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian, Irish and New Zealand embassies are in Berlin, with consulates in Hamburg and other large cities.
Tipping: round up or add 5–10% and say the total as you pay.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/greifswald). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.