Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is a winner: according to a study conducted by the European Institute for Tourism (ETI) in Trier, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was Germany’s most popular holiday destination last summer. Over 20 % of domestic holidays were spent in this north-eastern state. And with 7.6 million tourists annually this federal state attracts four times the total of its own population in visitors each year. A record!
Holidaymakers’ main reasons for their choice were “experiencing nature”, “enjoying the peace” and “swimming and sunbathing”. And these are precisely the strengths: natural conservation areas make up over 25 % of the state – that’s a higher percentage than in any other federal state. And with over 1700 lakes and 340 kilometres of coastline Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is Central Europe’s largest water-sport region.
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The capital: Schwerin, with its 98,000 inhabitants, is the smallest capital of all the federal states. It is surrounded by seven lakes. Schwerin Castle, at the centre of Lake Schwerin, is the seat of the state parliament and the town’s landmark with its shimmering gold spires, the orangery, the castle museum and the gardens. It’s only a short walk from here to the old town with its historical streets and quaint winding alleys. From the cathedral tower one thing is certain: the blue of the lakes dominates the town.
The Hanseatic town: in the Middle Ages Rostock flourished as a trading centre. Defiant town walls and gates, impressive town houses with Gothic gables and medieval churches all bear witness to this great era. With the founding of the north’s first university in 1419 the town became the Baltic centre of scholarship. Nowadays, sailors and sailing-ship fans meet every August at the annual “Hanse Sail” held in Rostock and neighbouring Warnemünde, the town’s picturesque seaside health resort. Once the sole domain of professional seamen, this town’s streets and beachside promenade are now lined with brightly painted fishermen’s cottages and captains’ houses.
The university town: the university, founded in 1456 as Pomerania’s state university, is now an economic trailblazer. In the city much has remained unchanged since its portrayal by Caspar David Friedrich. His pictures are on show in the Landesmuseum.
The seaside health resort: “the white town beside the sea” conveys only a vague impression of the real charm of Germany’s oldest seaside health resort. Today the Neoclassical buildings surrounding the spa pavilion, with its Roman temple façade on the seaward side, radiate their beautiful, simple elegance once more.
The red-brick town: deep carmine is the colour that dominates Stralsund on sunny days. That’s when the red-brick architecture of the town houses, churches and monasteries lend the town centre a particular warmth. And the medieval layout of the streets and squares makes Stralsund the most beautiful of all the Hanseatic towns. In contrast to the often characterless shopping arcades of many other places, Stralsund’s old town radiates authenticity. It lies on a small island almost completely surrounded by the sea. At the weekend fishermen sell their catches at the market stalls. And guests relax at the terraced cafés beside the harbour with its storehouses. Some 800 buildings are protected historic monuments. In 2002 Stralsund (and Wismar) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The island: with an area of 1100 square metres Rügen is Germany’s largest island. It offers a wide variety of landscapes: solitary sandy beaches, bays rich in fish, stunning chalk cliffs, thickly wooded hills, little fishing villages and lively seaside health resorts. Binz is Rügen’s biggest and most famous seaside resort with particularly impressive architecture. Harbour operations form the main area of economic activity in Sassnitz in the north-east.
The medieval town: Wismar is the largest medieval Hanseatic town in the Baltic region to have survived in such an intact state. The monumental red-brick churches, the old harbour and the almost unbroken rows of houses convey an authentic impression of an ancient maritime trading centre. Wismar belongs to the European red-brick Gothic route.
