In short: yes, but you barely notice them
The pull of the moon and the sun acts on the Baltic too. According to the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), however, tides play a very minor role there: they are usually only a few centimetres. The German Weather Service (DWD) gives typical changes of 10 to 30 centimetres for the Baltic.
For comparison: on the German North Sea coast the tidal differences are 2.5 to 4 metres, according to the DWD. There, wide mudflats fall dry twice a day; on the Baltic they do not.
Why the Baltic has hardly any tides
The IOW explains it with the shape of the sea: for tides to form within a basin, it would have to stretch very far from east to west. The Baltic is too small for that. Tides from the Atlantic and the North Sea can hardly get in either, because the Baltic is connected to the ocean only through the narrow and shallow Danish straits.
The DWD describes the Baltic as a largely enclosed inland sea, shallower than the North Sea and with an even more limited connection to the Atlantic. According to the IOW, the tide is most noticeable near the Danish straits.
What moves the water level on the Baltic
Instead of the tides, it is mainly the weather that sets the water level. Strong wind can raise or lower it by several decimetres, according to the DWD. When strong north-easterly wind persists, water piles up on the German Baltic coast; persistent south-westerly wind leads to lower water levels.
This can cause storm surges, on the Baltic also called storm high water. The BSH counts four classes there, measured above the German height datum NHN: storm surge from 1.00 m, medium storm surge from 1.25 m, severe storm surge from 1.50 m and very severe storm surge from 2.00 m. Accordingly, the BSH water level service has no tide curve for the Baltic gauges, only measurements and water level forecasts.
What it means for your holiday
On the Baltic you don’t need to plan your beach day around ebb and flood: the water stays roughly where it is. Wind, waves and currents matter more. When swimming, follow the lifeguards’ flags, and in a storm watch the warnings from the BSH and DWD.
If you want to experience ebb and flood, with mudflats, tidal creeks and a sea that retreats, go to the North Sea. The tide map shows the times for over 50 places between Sylt and Borkum.
The Baltic has tides, but usually only of a few centimetres. Its water level is driven mainly by the wind; ebb and flood on a grand scale happen on the North Sea.
See the tide for your placeFrequently asked questions
Are there ebb and flood on the Baltic Sea?
Yes, but they are hardly noticeable. According to the IOW, Baltic tides are usually only a few centimetres; the DWD gives typical changes of 10 to 30 centimetres.
Why does the North Sea have tides and the Baltic hardly any?
The North Sea is wide open to the Atlantic, where the tidal wave comes from. The Baltic is too small and connected to the ocean only through the narrow, shallow Danish straits.
When is it a storm surge on the Baltic?
According to the BSH, from a water level of 1.00 metre above NHN. From 1.25 m it speaks of a medium, from 1.50 m of a severe and from 2.00 m of a very severe storm surge.