Things to do in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania
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Neues Gebäude
reviewed
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Schloss
Schloss is crowned by a main golden dome. Nowadays the Schloss earns its keep as the state's parliament building.
reviewed
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Dom
Above the Markt, the tall 14th-century Gothic Dom is a superb example of north German red-brick architecture. You can climb up to the viewing platform of its 19th-century cathedral tower (118m), which is a mere 50cm taller than Rostock’s Petrikirche. Down to earth, check out the elaborately carved pews.
reviewed
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8cht Vorne
A scene stalwart: DJs, dancing and plenty of drinks specials, all in an old underground space.
reviewed
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Adler-Schiffe
The ubiquitous tour company operates hour-long harbour cruises.
reviewed
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Alter Markt
Seven copper turrets and six triangular gables grace the red-brick Gothic facade of Stralsund’s splendid 1370 Rathaus. The upper portion of the northern facade, or Schauwand (show wall), has openings to prevent strong winds from knocking it over. Inside, the sky-lit colonnade boasts shiny black pillars on carved and painted bases; on the western side of the building is an ornate portal.
Through the Rathaus’ eastern walkway you’ll come to the main portal of the 1270 Nikolaikirche, which was modelled on Lübeck’s Marienkirche and is filled with art treasures. The main altar (1708), designed by the baroque master Andreas Schlüter, shows the eye of God flanked by…
reviewed
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Altstadt
The bustling Markt is home to the Rathaus 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 house, which dates back to 1698.
reviewed
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Brasserie Grand Café
Always crowded with locals, this fine bistro has tables scattered on the square, across several rooms and levels inside and right on back to a beer garden. The food ranges from sandwiches to pasta to German staples. The Fischpfanne Brasserie is a delicious meal of three kinds of roasted fish fillets.
reviewed
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Buschérie
Although historic and half-timbered, Buschstrasse isn't stuck in the past, as shown by this sprightly bistro. Foods of the region are prepared with colour and flair. There is a sumptuous seafood spread (€32 per person) but otherwise the meaty mains and small plates are well priced. There's live jazz some nights; Mondays feature special cocktails and singing.
reviewed
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Café Central
In the heart of the KTV scene, Café Central has cult status among Rostock locals. Students, artists, hipsters and suited-up professionals all loll around sipping long drinks on the banquettes or gabbing with friends at tables out front. There are a lot of cheap ethnic restaurants nearby. It's 500m northwest of the Kröpeliner Tor.
reviewed
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City Tours
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City Walls & Gates
Today only two of 32 gates, plus a small brick section, remain of the old city wall. The 55m-high Kröpeliner Tor stands at the western end of Kröpeliner Strasse. From here, you can follow the Wallanlagen (city walls) through the pleasant park to Wallstrasse and the other surviving gate, the Steintor.
reviewed
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H
Der Käseladen Mühlenberg
A beautiful cheese store. The engaging owner will help you assemble a fabulous picnic to enjoy in the Schlossgarten; bakeries are nearby.
reviewed
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Evening Walks
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Fürstenhof
Between the St-Marien and St-Georgen churches lies the restored Italian Renaissance Fürstenhof, now the city courthouse. The facades are slathered in terracotta reliefs depicting episodes from folklore and the town’s history.
reviewed
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Gorch Fock 1
Built as a training ship by the German navy in 1933, the Gorch Fock 1 is a large (82m-long) steel three-masted barque with quite a history. The Russians took her as war booty and from there she spent time in the Ukraine and the UK before ending up back in her original home port of Stralsund. It is hoped this proud vessel, now under construction, will once again sail the Baltic.
reviewed
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Half-Timbered House
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Kron-Lastadie
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Kröpeliner Strasse & Universitätsplatz
Kröpeliner Strasse, a broad, shop-filled, cobblestone pedestrian mall lined with 15th- and 16th-century burghers’ houses, runs from Neuer Markt west to Kröpeliner Tor.
At the centre of the mall is Universitätsplatz, and its centrepiece, the crazy rococo Brunnen der Lebensfreude (Fountain of Happiness; some of the people and animals shown seem to be engaging in acts deemed illegal in more religiously conservative places). True to its name, the square is lined with university buildings, including the handsome terracotta Hauptgebäude (1866–70), which replaced the famous ‘White College’. The university itself is the oldest on the Baltic (founded in 1419), and currently…
reviewed
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Markt
Dominating the middle of the Markt is the 1602-built Wasserkunst (waterworks), an ornate, 12-sided well that supplied Wismar’s drinking water until 1897. Today it remains the town’s landmark.
Behind it stands the red-brick Alter Schwede, which dates from 1380 and features a striking step buttress gable facade. Today it houses a restaurant and guesthouse, as well as a copy of one of the so-called ‘Swedish Heads’.
Other gabled houses around the Markt have also been carefully restored. The large Rathaus at the square’s northern end was built between 1817 and 1819 and today houses the excellent Rathaus Historical Exhibition in its basement. Displays include an…
reviewed
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Pauli Warnemünde
Everything is organic at this designer cafe set on Warnemünde's main square away from the beach. Look for seasonal soups, light dishes, salads and a vast range of delectable baked goods. The coffee is superb.
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Rathaus
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Rathaus
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Restaurant Esszimmer
Alive with happy diners even on a winter Sunday when the rest of town is dead, Esszimmer has a fresh and ever-changing menu that has a creative take on local seasonal foods and dishes. Service is excellent. Tables outside catch the clang of harbour bells in summer.
reviewed
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Schelfkirche
reviewed