Sightseeing: Schloss Area

A good place to start a tour of Schwerin is at its most famous building, the Neo-Renaissance Schloss (Palace). It was built in 1843-57 on a small island in Lake Schwerin when the Dukes of Mecklenburg returned from almost a century in nearby Ludwigslust. The architects, Demmler and Stüler, were inspired by Chambord in the Loire Valley and the influence is obvious although this Schloss is of course much smaller. The Schloss houses the Landstag (Parliament) of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as the Schloss Museum, Lennéstraße 1. The museum includes the staterooms from the 19th century, furniture, Meissen porcelain, and court paintings. The 16th-century Schlosskirche (Palace Chapel) at the north of the building is Renaissance, with lovely galleries and intricate vaulting.

On Schloss Island is the small Burggarten (Castle Garden), with an Orangery, statues, viewing points, and a grotto. More interesting is the lovely 17th-century Baroque Schlossgarten (Palace Garden) on the south shore of the lake and connected by bridge to Schloss Island. At its center is a canal in the form of a cross. The statues are copies of the Balthasar Permoser originals. Elements such as the pavilion were added in the 19th century. Both gardens are unfenced and freely accessible.

The second bridge from the island leads to Schlossstraße, with several mostly Neo-Classical public buildings. The Staatliches Museum (National Museum), Alter Garten 3, has a noteworthy collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings (Hals, Brueghel, Jordaens) from the 17th century. It also has some 3,000 paintings, 35,000 drawings, and a rich collection of sculpture and furniture from the 18th century to the present.

To the left of the museum is the 19th-century Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque state theater and to its left the half-timber Altes Palais (Old Palace), which served as the dowager residence. The Neo-Classical buildings along Schlossstraße are mostly used by government departments.

Markt Area

A right turn in Puschkinstraße leads to the Markt (Market Square). The core of the Rathaus dates from the 14th century, but the Tudor Gothic façade was only added in the mid-19th century. Four half-timber houses from the 17th century have recently been restored. The Neues Gebäude (New Building), a Classical building with Doric columns on the north side of the square, was erected in the late 18th century – the first in an uncompleted project to enlarge and improve the market square. It currently houses a reasonably priced café – see below. In front of the building is a copy of the Braunschweig Lion that commemorates the founder of the town.

Behind the Neues Gebäude towers the majestic brick Gothic Dom (Cathedral) Am Dom 4, 0385-565-014. The current church was completed between 1280 and 1420 as a triple-nave basilica. Only the Paradise Gate survived from a previous Romanesque structure. The slender 118-m (389-foot) tower was only added in the 19th century. It offers the best views of Schwerin and its beautiful surroundings. The interior is surprisingly bright. A Neo-Gothic restoration project during the 19th century destroyed most of the original medieval interior; however, some original 13th- and 14th-century wall paintings can be seen in the Maria Asuncion Chapel at the north end of the transept. Nearby is an early 14th-century bronze baptismal font. The magnificent Neo-Gothic organ was installed in 1871. The Dom is a frequent venue for concerts.

Two blocks to the north is the Pfaffenteich – a small lake that has been compared to the Binnenalster in Hamburg. Most of the buildings on its shores are in the Historicist style of the late 19th century. A ferry has been operational between the west and east sides since 1879. Mecklinburgstraße, Schwerin’s foremost shopping street, leads from the lake back to the old town.

Farther Afield

The Mecklenburgisches Volkskundemuseum, Alte Crivitzer Landstraße 13, Schwerin-Mueß,   0385-208-410, an open-air museum in the southern suburbs of Schwerin, opened in 1970. At its heart is the town center of Mueß that dates back to 1304. The museum focuses on the life of rural communities from the 18th to early 20th centuries and has a dozen typical houses from the period.