What is the ostseecard?
The ostseecard is the form in which Grömitz collects its visitor tax. It is not an optional discount card but a municipal levy – and at the same time an access and benefits card for a range of facilities.
The municipality's reasoning: the revenue funds things a town of around 7,500 residents would not otherwise have – beach maintenance and lifeguards, the promenade, the spa park, the events programme and sports provision.
2026 prices at a glance
| Area | High season | Low season | Annual card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grömitz and Lensterstrand | €4.00 / day | €2.50 / day | €112.00 |
| Other villages in the municipality | €2.50 / day | €1.80 / day | €70.00 |
Our apartment at Seestraße 9a lies in the Grömitz zone, so the rate is €4.00 or €2.50 per person per day.
When is high and when is low season?
Important: the ostseecard seasons are not the same as the seasons used for nightly rates. For the visitor tax:
| Season | Period |
|---|---|
| High season | 1 April – 31 October and 25 December – 3 January |
| Low season | 4 January – 31 March and 1 November – 24 December |
A stay in mid-October therefore still counts as high season for the tax (€4.00), while our nightly rate has already dropped to the shoulder season. Our own season dates are in the article on the best time to visit Grömitz.
What does it include?
- Free access to the licensed bathing beach – eight kilometres, lifeguarded in high season
- Reduced bus fares along the coast between Grömitz, Kellenhusen, Dahme and Neustadt in Holstein
- Cheaper entry to the Grömitzer Welle, the seawater leisure pool and sauna complex
- Free or reduced entry to events
- Free participation in guided walks and the sports programme
- Library access
- Discounts at bike hire shops and other partner businesses
The sports and walking programme is the underrated part: in season there is something free almost every day, from Nordic walking and beach yoga to guided coastal hikes.
Who pays less, or nothing at all?
This is the part most visitors miss – and for families it makes a substantial difference. The Grömitz by-law sets it out in § 3 and § 6:
| Group | Rule | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Children and young people up to their 18th birthday | fully exempt | § 3 (2) a |
| Disabled visitors with a degree of disability of 80+ and one permanent companion (marker “B”) | fully exempt | § 3 (2) c |
| People present for work or official duties | exempt | § 3 (1) a |
| People with a documented illness | exempt | § 3 (1) b |
| Participants in registered conferences | exempt | § 3 (1) c |
| Group travel from 20 people | 50 % reduction | § 6 |
| Stays in recognised health clinics | 10 % reduction | § 6 |
What this means for familiesA family of four with two children under 18 pays €8.00 a day in high season, not €16.00 – only the two adults are liable. Over a week that is €56 instead of €112.
How is the ostseecard billed?
With us it is straightforward: we register your stay and issue the cards, charged per person per night. You pay the visitor tax with the final invoice – it is not included in the nightly rate of €99 / €138 / €158, any more than the €110 final cleaning is.
On transparencyWe always show the ostseecard as a separate line rather than folding it into the nightly rate. It makes comparison with booking portals fairer – there the levy often only appears at the last step.
What does a week actually cost?
A worked example for two adults, seven nights:
| Item | 2 adults, July | 2 adults, November | 2 adults + 2 children, July |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | 7 × €158 = €1,106 | 7 × €99 = €693 | 7 × €158 = €1,106 |
| Final cleaning incl. utilities | €110 | €110 | €110 |
| ostseecard | 2 × 7 × €4.00 = €56 | 2 × 7 × €2.50 = €35 | 2 × 7 × €4.00 = €56 |
| Total | €1,272 | €838 | €1,272 |
An optional linen package costs €35 per person, and there is a €15 flat fee if you charge an electric car.
Common misunderstandings
“I am not going to the beach, so I do not pay.” The visitor tax is a levy on staying in the area, not a beach entry fee. It applies regardless of use.
“Children pay too.” They do not. In Grömitz, children and young people are fully exempt up to their 18th birthday (§ 3 (2) a of the by-law). That is more generous than many Baltic resorts, where exemption often ends at 6 or 14. Tell us your children's ages when you book and we will register them correctly.
“The card is valid all along the Baltic.” It is not. The ostseecard applies within its collection area; the bus discount covers the coastal stretch of Grömitz, Kellenhusen, Dahme and Neustadt in Holstein.