Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
The state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania contains a long stretch of Baltic coast, on which lies the former Hanseatic port of Rostock. It is primarily a rural state, with numerous lakes in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte region to the south, and is popular for water-based and cycling holidays, as well as its beaches.
The University, founded in 1419, was the first in Northern Europe. Attractions in the city include the elegant burghers’ houses in Thälmann Square, the 15th-century Town Hall, the late-Gothic St Mary’s Church with its 15th-century astronomical clock and Baroque organ and the district of Warnemünde with its fishing harbour and seaside resort. The Schifffahrtsmuseum (Museum of Navigation) tells the story of seafaring from Viking times. Kröpelin Gate houses the City History Museum.
State capital, founded in 1160 and still a charming town. Schwerin Castle, on the lake of the same name and surrounded by a terraced garden crossed by a canal, was for many decades the residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg and is one of the finest examples of German Gothic architecture. In the historic old quarter of the city are the well-preserved Gothic Cathedral, the Town Hall and an interesting museum with collections of French, German and Dutch paintings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. There is a fine baroque opera house.
Greifswald, a small university town east of Rostock, has original 15th-century burghers’ houses and is part of a medieval fishing village. Birthplace of painter Caspar David Friedrich, radical alterations to the city’s appearance resulted from construction of new residential areas and industrial zones in the post-war period. The ‘White Fleet’ of passenger boats serves all the coastal ports, and calls at Hiddensee Island, an island with no cars and a large protected bird colony. The island of Rügen, with its nature reserve and famous chalk cliffs, is Germany’s largest and a popular holiday destination. From Bad Doberan, 9 miles west of Rostock, it is possible to take the ‘Molli’ narrow-gauge railway to Germany’s oldest seaside resort, Heiligendamm. Notable at Wismar is the huge market square, covering 10,000 sq m (12,000 sq yards).
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