On the west side of the harbor entrance, about 200 meters from Warnemünde beach, stands the Baltic Sea resort's landmark: the Warnemünde Lighthouse. It is one of the most popular attractions for visitors vacationing in Rostock or directly in the Baltic Sea resort of Warnemünde. The white tower with its green domed roof is 30 meters high, and its lighthouse can be seen for 24 nautical miles. Even today, the Warnemünde Lighthouse is guarded by 12 volunteer lighthousemen who welcome visitors, maintain the tower, and still have plenty of Warnemünde stories to tell.
At the end of the 13th century, the expansion of the harbor was planned, as Rostock was considered the most influential Hanseatic city at the time. A lighthouse was also planned as part of this process. However, it is not known today whether there was actually a permanent lighthouse on this site until 1800. In 1836, a permanent lantern 11.35 meters high was erected. The lighthouse in its current form was built in 1898. The architect of the Warnemünde lighthouse is Karl Friedrich Kerner (1847-1920), the harbor construction director. A plaque at the base of the building commemorates him.