For people like me who get sleepy during long drives, a three-hour journey from Berlin to Hamburg calls for one pitstop. The place Alvin chose was Schwerin, the capital of the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
It’s actually an area I wanted to see after attending an event for diplomatic spouses at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Representative’s Office. It was organised by Wilkommen in Berlin and during that event, we were given an overview of the state.
The things to do there, the stunning scenery, and some of the must-sees which included Schweriner Schloss (Schwerin Castle). So, while on our way to Hamburg, we stopped by Schwerin to have a look around as well as lunch.
Upon arriving in Schwerin, the first thing that catches one’s eye is the castle. Truly beautiful and quite imposing, the Schweriner Schloss is located on an island in the middle of Schweriner See (lake), which acts as the castle’s moat.
Also known as the Neuschwanstein of the North, the Schwerin castle is also one of the most important examples of romantic historicism.
For hundreds of years, the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg and later Mecklenburg-Schwerin lived in the palace. Currently, it is the residence of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament.
For this trip, we were with our friends Sarah and Sergio – a road trip double date.😉 But really, it was more for the boys because the actual destination that day was Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg. Alvin and Sergio wanted to see model trains and planes which had me rolling my eyes. But – I must admit that I ended up enjoying the place more than I should. But I’ll share more about that in the next post.
Taking photos around the castle grounds became such a fun activity for the four of us. Some local tourists even started trying out the same things we were up to.
From the castle, it was a quick walk to the city’s altstadt or Old Town. You can easily get there by crossing a wide bridge that also leads you to the museum.
We were lucky that day – the Christmas Market was still up and running! Usually, they close down right before Christmas but it seems there was an extension in Schwerin and I couldn’t be happier. Imagine going through the rest of winter without glühwein (mulled wine) and candied almonds being easily accessible? Eeeeep!
Schwerin was devasted by a terrible fire during the Middle Ages. Thus, most of the structures that can be seen in the city’s old town are from the 19th century. Historicism was in at that time and 77 hectares of Schwerin remain to be a testament to that. Thankfully, the area was also spared from bombing during World War II.
The Schwerin Cathedral is the tallest among all churches in Mecklenburg. A northern gothic masterpiece, the cathedral is also the oldest building in Schwerin.
So if you’re driving from Berlin to Hamburg and in need of a break, I suggest checking out Schwerin. You can also spend a day there to go for a guided tour of the castle or hang out at the old town.
I also highly recommend their Christmas market due to the wide variety of goods and food being sold. Just make sure you come early during winter as it gets dark pretty early.
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More later.
Love,
Carol
