Schwerin Overview

Founded in 1018, Schwerin (pop. 96,000) is the great-grandfather of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s cities, and the capital of the province. Encircled by lakes and largely free of communist “architectural innovations,” Schwerin’s Schloß and well-preserved townhouses lend the town a regal flair. The undeniable cultural center of Mecklenburg, Schwerin hosts dozens of art festivals and concerts every year, and is home to some of the region’s finest traditional cuisine.

• Transportation

Bikes: The city’s Räder Center shop in the train station rents bikes, recommends trails, and leads tours. (☎ 0385 500 76 30. M-F €6 per day, Sa-Su €7; €50 deposit required. Rentals from mid-Apr ...more

• Practical Information

Tourist office: Am Markt 14, books hotel rooms for free and leads 1½hr. German-language walking tours (daily ­11am, €4.50). From the train station, go right on Grundthalpl. and continue as it turns ...more

• Accommodations

Zimmervermietung Familie Kuhnert, Voßstr. 44 is in the blue house next to the easily spottable yellow Cafe Bernstein. Take bus #10 or 11 from the train station to “Alter Friedhof” and cross the street ...more

• Food

Fast food joints proliferate in the Schloßpark Center, a modern shopping mall with chain-caliber staples. Buy groceries at Edeka, Schmiedestr. 10, just off the Markt. (Open M-F ­8am-­8pm, Sa ­8am-­6pm ...more

• Sights

staatliches museum (State museum).  The castle’s neighbor may suffer a bit of Schloß envy, but this museum is no rinky-dink collection. Housing a remarkable assortment of 15th- to 19th-century ...more

• Entertainment And Nightlife

The cream-pillared building next door to the Staatliches Museum is the Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin, which puts on the most highly regarded plays, ballets, and symphonies in town. (Alter Garten ...more