Need suggestions for former East Section of Germany 2017

It might be because it was raining, but I wasn't very much impressed by Rostock. On this coast I found Wismar most charming. And the island of Rügen is not to be missed, if only for its white cliffs.
In the south of the former DDR Erfurt will come as a pleasant surprise. It's also a good base for nearby Weimar and Gotha. Dresden might be somewhat of a disappointment as a city, but Leipzig is amazingly attractive.
Many praise Görlitz, close to the Polish border.

We found the port at Warnemunde to be quite nice, and it's essentially The Beach for Germany. Rostock was just another German city, however.

You should considering stopping at Berlin and Dresden on your way to Prague. Dresden was heavily bombed at the end of WWII, but it was probably Europe's most beautiful city prior to that. They're finally getting around to rebuilding, and the museums there are absolutely incredible. The mountains east and south of Dresden are also something to see.

If you consider exploring Rügen, definately spend at least one night in the beautiful beach resort of Binz. Early June might be a tad too cool for swimming, but the town is great for strolling. Jasmund Nationalpark, with the famous white cliffs, is located a little further to the north. Getting around is a bit tough without a rental car.

Very close to Wittenberg, take a look at the Garden Realm of Dessau-Wörlitz.

Schwerin in the north has a very pretty historic district and a castle in a tiny lake surrounded by gardens.

In addition to Görlitz (about which I have, indeed, been know to gush) and the also-handsome Erfurt, I highly recommend Quedlinburg, which is very near Weimar. Quedlinburg has a very large historic district chock-full of half-timbered buildings, a castle, a cathedral with an important treasury (Google for American connection) and the small modern-art Feininger Gallery.The tourist office offers walking tours as well as renting an audio guide.

Hi,

Where do you plan on going in north or eastern Germany after returning to Rostock? I would suggest seeing Schwerin formerly of Mecklenburg-Schwerin after you return since it's close to Rostock. . There are two big hotels in the Schwerin train station area, both are pretty good and affordable, both a minute or two from each other. I checked them out in 2015 when I was doing a day trip there from Berlin. But as a day trip to Schwerin, it's better to do it from Hamburg. Staying in Schwerin, aside from visiting the famous Schloss and lovely grounds, you could also take a short day trip to Ludwigslust to see Schloss Ludwigslust.

If you prefer going southward, then I suggest seeing Weimar to see the city of Goethe and Schiller, Meissen, Leipzig if you're into classical music, Naumburg an der Saale....all connected to German cultural history. I'll be here also in June of 2017.

If visiting Berlin, have a look at some landmarks of the former East Berlin. The Karl-Marx-Strasse has some remarkable Stalinesque architecture around the Frankfurter Tor. The Treptower Park houses one of the more impressive Soviet war memorials. Not that typical German architecture of half-timbered houses, medieval castles or baroque palaces, but very much part of the history of the former DDR.