Current Time in Schwerin, Germany

Schwerin is the capital of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in northeastern Germany, situated in a remarkable landscape of lakes and forests where the city center occupies a peninsula between the Schweriner See (Schwerin Lake) and several smaller lakes. The city is dominated by the extraordinary Schwerin Castle (Schweriner Schloss), a romantic 19th-century palatial castle built on an island in the lake, which is considered one of the most beautiful castles in Germany and has earned Schwerin the affectionate nickname the "Mecklenburg Neuschwanstein."

With a population of approximately 95,000, Schwerin is relatively small for a state capital, reflecting the historically modest population of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which is one of Germany's least densely populated states. The state parliament (Landtag) is housed in the Schwerin Castle, giving the fairytale palace a dual role as both historic monument and active parliamentary seat. The city has several museums, theaters, and the state opera, and its exceptional lake landscape provides outstanding recreational opportunities.

The history of Schwerin begins with a Slavic castle settlement on the lake island, which became the center of Schweriner See (Schwerin Lake), controlled by the Slavic Obotrite people. Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, conquered the settlement in 1160 and founded Schwerin as a German city, making it the oldest German city in Mecklenburg. The city subsequently developed as the capital of the Duchy (later Grand Duchy) of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, a petty state of the Holy Roman Empire that persisted with various configurations until 1918.

The Schwerin Castle, the most remarkable building in the city, was built between 1845 and 1857 by Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II in a romantically eclectic style combining elements of French Renaissance, Gothic, and baroque architecture on the island previously occupied by a succession of earlier castles. The silhouette of towers, domes, and turrets reflected in the surrounding lake creates an image of fairy-tale palatial beauty that has made the castle one of the most photographed buildings in northeastern Germany. The castle's interior contains magnificent state rooms with outstanding collections of porcelain, tapestries, and period furniture. The surrounding castle garden (Burggarten) and the orangery provide beautiful park settings beside the lake.

The Schwerin State Museum, one of the finest art museums in northeastern Germany, is housed in the former court stables and contains an exceptional collection of Dutch and Flemish 17th-century paintings assembled by the Mecklenburg dukes, as well as significant collections of German painting from the 19th and 20th centuries and decorative arts including one of the finest Meissen porcelain collections in Germany. The Old Town of Schwerin is centered on the Cathedral of Saints Mary and John, a fine example of North German Brick Gothic architecture from the 14th century, and the Market Square with its neoclassical Rathaus and colorful 19th-century facades.

The Schweriner See, the sixth-largest lake in Germany, offers sailing, boat trips, swimming, and cycling around its extensive shores. The surrounding lake district of Mecklenburg, with its gentle hills, reed-fringed lakes, and traditional fishing villages, provides a tranquil natural landscape for outdoor recreation and relaxation. The Mecklenburg Lake District, sometimes called the "Land of a Thousand Lakes," extends around Schwerin and is a popular destination for kayaking, cycling, and nature tourism.

Schwerin is connected by rail to Hamburg in approximately one hour twenty minutes and to Rostock. The combination of the extraordinary lake-island castle, fine art museum with exceptional Dutch and Flemish collections, attractive old town, beautiful lake landscape, and position as the capital of an often-overlooked region make Schwerin one of the most pleasant surprises for visitors to northeastern Germany.