Until 1903, the Alter Strom, or Old Channel, was the main shipping route between Rostock and the Baltic. Fishermen settled on its banks in the 1200s and moored their boats at their doorsteps. When the bank filled up, the next fishermen built a second row of houses behind.

Then the Neuer Strom, the New Channel, took over. Dug much deeper, it's where cruise ships dock today. The Alter Strom kept the colourful boats, which now sell harbour cruises and fish sandwiches. Many of the fishermen's and captains' houses along it are original, and today they hold shops and restaurants.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tour of Warnemünde takes a left at the end of the bridge, away from the crowds, and saves the busy waterfront for the finish.