Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [646]
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Information
Helios Kliniken Schwerin ( 5200; Wismarsche Strasse 397) Medical services.
Main post office (Mecklenburgstrasse 4-6)
Netz-Games ( 593 6960; Ritterstrasse 1; per hr €2; 3pm-midnight) Internet access.
Tourist-Information Schwerin ( 592 5212; www.schwerin.com; Rathaus, Am Markt 14; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun Apr-Oct, 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar)
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Sights
SCHLOSS & GARDENS
Gothic and Renaissance turrets, Slavic onion domes, Ottoman features and terracotta Hanseatic step gables are among the mishmash of architectural styles that make up Schwerin’s inimitable Schloss ( 525 2920; www.schloss-schwerin.de; adult/concession €4/2.50, audioguide €2; 10am-6pm mid-Apr–mid-Oct, 10am-5pm Tue-Sun mid-Oct–mid-Apr), which is crowned by a main golden dome. Nowadays the Schloss earns its keep as the state’s parliament building.
Schwerin derives its name from a Slavic castle known as Zuarin (Animal Pasture) that was formerly on the site, and which was first mentioned in 973 AD. In a niche over the main gate, the statue of Niklot depicts a Slavic prince, who was defeated by Heinrich der Löwe in 1160.
Inside the castle’s opulently furnished rooms, highlights include a huge collection of Meissen porcelain.
The park immediately surrounding the palace is known as the Burggarten and most notably features a wonderful orangerie overlooking the water, with a conservatory restaurant and terrace cafe (open May to October). A handful of statues, a grotto and lookout points are also here.
Crossing the causeway south from the Burggarten brings you to the baroque Schlossgarten (Palace Garden), intersected by several canals.
Continuing southeast you’ll come to the Schleifmühle ( 562 751; adult/concession €2.50/1.50; 10am-5pm Apr-Oct), a small local history museum located in a carefully restored 19th-century mill.
STAATLICHES MUSEUM
In the Alter Garten, opposite the Schloss, the Staatliches Museum (State Museum Schwerin; 595 80; www.museum-schwerin.de; Alter Garten 3; adult/concession €6/4; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, 10am-5pm Tue-Sun Nov-Mar) has a substantial collection spanning the ages. The 15 statues in the Ernst Barlach room (see the boxed text, Click here) provide a small taste of the sculptor’s work. There’s also a typically amusing and irreverent Marcel Duchamp collection. Those with more traditional tastes will prefer the oils by Lucas Cranach the Elder, as well as works by Rembrandt and Rubens.
DOM
Above the Markt, the tall 14th-century Gothic Dom (cathedral; Am Dom 4; 11am-2pm Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm Sat, noon-3pm Sun) is a superb example of north German redbrick architecture. You can climb up to the viewing platform (€1.50) of its 19th-century cathedral tower (118m), which is a mere 50cm taller than Rostock’s Petrikirche. Check with the tourist office, as hours can vary.
ALTSTADT
The bustling Markt is home to the Rathaus (town hall) and the colonnaded neoclassical Neues Gebäude (1780–83), which houses a classy cafe. The latter is fronted by a lion monument honouring the town’s founder, Heinrich der Löwe. A walk southwest of the Rathaus to the appropriately named Engestrasse (Narrow Street) brings you past a lovely example of the city’s earliest half-timbered houses at Buschstrasse 15.
SCHELFSTADT
North of the Markt along Puschkinstrasse is Schelfstadt, a planned baroque village that was autonomous until Schwerin’s mid-19th-century expansion. The restored 1737 Schleswig-Holstein-Haus ( 555 527; Puschkinstrasse 12; admission varies; 10am-6pm) contains a gallery that features changing contemporary art exhibitions. Just north of here is the baroque Schelfkirche (Nikolaikirche; 1708–13) and Schelfmarkt, the former town market.
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Tours
From May to September, Weisse Flotte