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10 reasons to love Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Never-ending Promenades
The bathing resort of Ahlbeck is one of three “imperial spas” on the island of Usedom, where German Emperor Wilhelm II was already known to seek relaxation in a beach chair. Past the historic Seebrücke pier Europe’s longest sea promenade leads 12 kilometers (7.8 miles) to Heringsdorf, Bansin and even across the border to the sea resort of Świnoujście (Swinemünde) in Poland.
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10 reasons to love Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Historical setting
On Usedom, the village of Peenemünde came to prominence during the Second World War, as the place where Nazi Germany tested missiles and rockets, including the V-2. Thousands of slave laborers were killed working on the weapons program, which saw the world’s first ever rocket launched in October 1942. The birthplace of modern rocket science is today displayed at the Historical Technical Museum.
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10 reasons to love Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Summer residences
Like Usedom, the sea-front of the spa towns on Rügen are lined with hotels and villas in the typical resort architecture. Back in the 19th century Germany’s biggest island was already a popular holiday destination for the nobility. The sea resort of Binz still shines with white fronted houses with facades decorated with extravagant stucco and delicately carved wooden terraces.
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10 reasons to love Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
A beacon by the sea
Hanseatic towns like Stralsund represent a maritime tradition of sea faring and trading. The old town center with its red brick churches has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. Standing out in all that red is the white building of the Ozeaneum, the German Baltic Sea museum. Those who enjoy sailing set off from here to reach to the Baltic sea islands of Rügen and Hiddensee.
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10 reasons to love Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
An inspiration to artists
The Fischland-Darß peninsular is a small strip of land in the Baltic Sea. Some 100 years ago artists founded a colony in the fishing village of Ahrenshoop. Painting outdoors surrounded by an impressive landscape was very en vogue in Europe’s then young modern art scene. On their canvases, artists captured nature, light and their emotional responses to it all.
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10 reasons to love Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Land of a thousand lakes
The Mecklenburg Lake District is located only an hour’s drive south from the Baltic Sea coast. The region is home to Lake Müritz, Germany’s biggest inland lake, making it a paradise for water sports fans as well as nature lovers. From the town of Waren you can catch a boat or bus tour of the Müritz National Park. From here canoeists can even paddle all the way to Berlin or Hamburg.
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10 reasons to love Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Waterways
Müritz National Park is home to over 700 sorts of fern and flowering plants as well as some 800 types of butterflies and 43 dragonfly species. This nature reserve is famous for its white-tailed sea eagles and ospreys. Thousands of cranes also roost here in the spring and fall. The best way for visitors to discover this unspoiled nature is by canoe.
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10 reasons to love Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Manor farms
For generations Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has served as Germany’s granary. Agriculture dominates this sparsely populated landscape. As a result there are hundreds of old manor farm houses, often resembling castles. In the past they used to belong to Mecklenburg nobility, these days they often serve as very comfortable holiday homes.
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10 reasons to love Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Holidaying on horseback
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s horse breeding traditions date back to the 12th century. In Bad Doberan, mainland Europe’s first racecourse was opened in 1823. Horse riding fans will find a choice of horse ranches to spend their holidays with their own or a rented horse. From October until Easter they are even allowed ride on the Baltic Sea beaches.
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10 reasons to love Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Schwerin Palace
In the 19th century grand dukes of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had an impressive palatial home built in today’s state capital, Schwerin. Since late 1990, the feudal building is once again a seat of government, serving as the seat of the regional state assembly. The picturesque location on an island makes the palace an unmistakable landmark of the city.
Author: Ille Simon
Plenty of water, not too many people — if you’re looking for peace and quiet, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is for you. Only in summer do the beaches on the Baltic Sea coast sometimes get really full.
Seaside resort Warnemünde
The ships between the piers, the 150-meter-wide sandy beach and the promenade with the venerable lighthouse have long since made the former fishing village on the Warnow a popular holiday resort on the Baltic coast. Normally a sure bet for carefree summer vacations. But the summer of 2020 was dominated by the coronavirus. Check-inpresenter Lukas Stege went there to find out how visitors and locals experienced vacations during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Baltic Sea island of Rügen
Miles of beaches belong to Rügen as well as the steep coast with the famous chalk cliffs and the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Jasmund National Park. Germany’s largest island is also one of the places with the most hours of sunshine in Germany.
Sunbathing and natural wonders
Along its 2200 kilometers of coastline in Germany there are many more reasons why the Baltic Sea is a favorite destination for Germans.
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10 reasons to go to the Baltic Sea
Beach and sea fun
Those who spend their holidays at the Baltic Sea want one thing above all: to lie on the beach and swim in the sea. And best of all in bright sunshine. The weather can certainly not keep up with the Mediterranean, but the island of Usedom is one of the sunniest holiday regions in Germany. Up to 2,000 hours in the year the sun shines here in the sky.
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10 reasons to go to the Baltic Sea
Relax in a beach chair
Baltic Sea vacationers love the beach chairs. They protect from sun, wind and rain. The chair was invented in 1882 in Rostock by the imperial court basket maker Wilhelm Bartelmann. Aristocrat Elfriede von Maltzahn, who suffered from rheumatism, commissioned him to make a “seat for the beach” — and the idea of the beach chair was born. Today it is impossible to imagine the Baltic Sea without them.
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10 reasons to go to the Baltic Sea
Relax in a beach chair
Baltic Sea vacationers love the beach chairs. They protect from sun, wind and rain. The chair was invented in 1882 in Rostock by the imperial court basket maker Wilhelm Bartelmann. Aristocrat Elfriede von Maltzahn, who suffered from rheumatism, commissioned him to make a “seat for the beach” — and the idea of the beach chair was born. Today it is impossible to imagine the Baltic Sea without them.
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10 reasons to go to the Baltic Sea
Walking on the piers
Piers are just as much a part of the Baltic Sea as beach chairs. Ferries dock at some of them, some are built up with restaurants and shops, and others are populated by anglers. But they all have one thing in common: from every pier you have a great view of the sea and the coast. The longest one is in Heringsdorf on the island Usedom (picture). It leads over 500 meters (1,640 ft) into the sea.
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10 reasons to go to the Baltic Sea
Naked sunbathing
Take off your bathing shorts, get rid of your bikini and get an all-over tan! That’s no problem at the Baltic Sea because here there are more nudist beaches than anywhere else in Germany. For many holidaymakers this means freedom and unspoiled nature. The nudist phenomenon dates back to former East Germany when it was a common practice to lie naked on the beach and swim in the sea.
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10 reasons to go to the Baltic Sea
Photographing natural wonders
Here the coast does not run gently into the sea. On Rügen, the largest island in the Baltic Sea, chalk cliffs up to 120 meters (393 ft) high rise out of the water. About 70 million years ago a shallow sea was located here, which was a habitat for many small animals. Their calcareous shells and skeletons fossilized to form a 500-meter thick chalk layer — the origin of the chalk cliffs of Rügen.
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10 reasons to go to the Baltic Sea
Marvel at ships
Where there’s a sea, there are ships. You can either rent a boat and sail from port to port yourself, or you can admire other people’s ships from the shore. This is especially spectacular during the Kieler Woche or at the Hanse Sail Rostock, when traditional sailing ships and museum ships proudly display their beauty on the water.
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10 reasons to go to the Baltic Sea
Discover World Heritage Sites
There are many cultural sights on the Baltic coast. This was also acknowledged by UNESCO and the port cities of Lübeck (picture), Wismar and Stralsund were added to the list of World Heritage Sites. In all three, the historic city center has been preserved. Thus, it is still possible today to see how 800 years ago the cities became rich through trade.
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10 reasons to go to the Baltic Sea
Explore Hanseatic cities
All three cities Lübeck, Wismar (picture) and Stralsund are not only World Heritage Sites, but were also part of the Hanseatic League. This was a powerful merchants’ and cities’ association that secured the trade routes at sea and on land. Magnificent religious buildings, imposing brick Gothic architecture and medieval town houses still bear witness to the heyday of the Hanseatic League.
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10 reasons to go to the Baltic Sea
Enjoy a fish dinner
If you travel to the Baltic Sea coast, you can enjoy fresh fish every day. Mostly it is delivered directly from the fishing boat to the restaurant kitchen, the market or straight on to a fish roll for the small snack in between. In the Baltic Sea mainly herring, cod, flounder, eel and salmon are caught, and in the Bodden waters perch, carp, pike and zander.
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10 reasons to go to the Baltic Sea
Search for amber
With a little luck, you may come across amber during a walk on the beach. As early as 10,000 years ago, people made jewelry from fossilized resin. Even today, necklaces, bracelets and works of art like this ship are made from amber. Collectors have good chances to find amber on the beaches of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, especially on Hiddensee, Rügen and Usedom.
Author: Elisabeth Yorck von Wartenburg
Schwerin Castle
Twelve lakes extend into the center of Schwerin. One of the most beautiful castles in Mecklenburg, the Schwerin City Palace, rises picturesquely on an island. The Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin had it built in the 19th century in the style of a historic French moated castle.
Müritz National Park
You can easily sail around Lake Müritz in the south of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in a houseboat, as Check-in host Lukas Stege found out. It’s the largest lake in the Mecklenburg lake district, much of which is a nature protection area, and the largest that lies entirely within Germany. Long before the coronavirus crisis, he “cast off” on an excursion across the largest lake in the Mecklenburg Lake District – the Müritz.
Specialties from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Every trip should also include sampling local cuisine. Here a typical recipe from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania that you can cook at home: Pears, beans and bacon
Your trip to Germany
Are you looking for recommendations for your visit to Germany? We’ve got them: Tips for Germany — state by state.
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-s-16-states-mecklenburg-western-pomerania/a-45215381?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-xml-atom