Name: Karls Sandwelt Warnemünde 2026
Start: 2026-03-30T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-11-01T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Karls Pier7 Warnemünde

Sandwelt Warnemünde

About Sandwelt Warnemünde

Karls Sandwelt Warnemünde transforms Karls Pier7 into an open-air gallery of sand every year. International sculptors shape several hundred tons of Baltic Sea sand into sculptures up to three meters high around a changing annual theme. The exhibition is accessible free of charge from spring to autumn and is one of the most visited family attractions on the Mecklenburg coast.

Dates 30 Mar — 01 Nov 2026

Venue Rostock (13003)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Sandwelt Warnemünde — edition 2026

The 16th Sandwelt Warnemünde in 2026 is themed »KARLifornia Beach — Maritime World Tour« and can be seen from March 30 to November 1, 2026, at Karls Pier7. The construction phase is publicly viewable from March 19 to 29.

For its 16th edition, Sandwelt Warnemünde transforms Karls Pier7 into a sandy journey across the world's oceans under the theme »KARLifornia Beach — Maritime World Tour«. International artists from Latvia, Ukraine, Poland, and the Netherlands, under the artistic direction of Othmar Schiffer-Belz, are creating five large-scale sculpture groups—including a coastal scene with palm trees and a lighthouse, a surfer in the waves, a fantastical underwater world, and a majestic Blue Marlin. The creation of the works can be publicly observed from March 19 to 29, 2026, and the finished exhibition will be open daily until November 1, 2026.

Highlights Sandwelt Warnemünde 2026

Theme »KARLifornia Beach — Maritime World Tour«
Five large-scale sculpture groups, up to 3 meters high
Publicly viewable construction phase March 19–29
Artistic Direction: Othmar Schiffer-Belz

Programme Sandwelt Warnemünde 2026

Sculptures 2026 — »KARLifornia Beach«

»KARLifornia Beach« — Zigmunds Vilnis (Latvia): Coastal scene with palm trees and lighthouse
»Arnold the Surfer« — Artem & Arsentyi Samoylov (Ukraine): Surfer battling the elements
»Underwater Hunt« — Vladimir Bludnik (Poland): Fantastical underwater world
»The Blue Marlin« — Ainārs Zigniks (Latvia)
»KARLifornia Beach Tour« — Edith van de Wetering & Wilfred Stijger (Netherlands)

Public construction phase: March 19–29, 2026.

Prices Sandwelt Warnemünde 2026

Admission to Sandwelt is free.

Practical information

Practical information — Sandwelt Warnemünde

Getting There

Take the S-Bahn from Rostock Hauptbahnhof to Warnemünde, then a short walk to Pier7. By car, take the A19 towards Warnemünde; during high season, using the Park and Ride facilities is recommended.

Admission

Admission to Sandwelt is free. Open from spring to autumn.

A Gallery of Sand on the Baltic Sea

Since 2011, Karls Sandwelt at Pier7 in Warnemünde has showcased a new sand sculpture exhibition each year under its own theme. Trained artists from several countries process several hundred tons of sand into detailed figures and scenes, some reaching three meters in height. The stacked and compacted sand is worked using only water, spatulas, and brushes—a craft without binders, making each sculpture a unique, ephemeral work.

Creation to Watch

A special feature of Sandwelt is the publicly viewable construction phase: for several days before the opening, guests can watch the sculptors at work and witness the gradual creation of the sculptures. The finished exhibition then remains open throughout the entire season.

Location at Pier7

The venue is Karls Pier7 in Warnemünde, the well-known Baltic Sea resort in the Hanseatic and university city of Rostock. In addition to the sand artworks, the area offers a sun terrace, small shops, and gastronomic facilities in a maritime atmosphere. The Sandwelt is thus within walking distance of the beach, the pier, and the Alter Strom.

Regional Context

Rostock and the seaside resort of Warnemünde in the district of the same name shape the tourism region on the Baltic coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Sandwelt complements the coast's summer program as a weather-independent, free attraction for families.