Schwerins slott - sagoslott i norra Tyskland

Schwerin Castle is a beautiful fairytale castle with turrets and towers, located in northern Germany. As well as being beautiful to look at, you can peek into the decorated halls and stroll around the lovely castle garden.

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Schwerin Castle

Schwerin Castle is a popular destination for both German and foreign tourists, and it's not hard to understand why.

Schwerin Castle is located on a seaside island in Lake Schwerin, in the city of Schwerin in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The city is located about one kilometre east of Hamburg, in northern Germany.

Schwerin Castle - with a thousand-year history

Schwerin Castle has more than a thousand years of history behind it. In 965, a Slavic fortress was built on an island in Lake Schwerin. Almost 200 years later the castle was captured and destroyed, but it was rebuilt and in 1161 the city of Schwerin was founded.

In 1358, the county of Schwerin was purchased by Duke Albrecht II of Mecklenburg, who was married to the Swedish princess Eufemia Eriksdotter and the father of Albrecht of Mecklenburg, king of Sweden from 1364 to 1389.

In the 19th century, the castle was in poor condition and Duke Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin commissioned a new stately castle. The castle you see today was completed in 1857.

The castle was the residence of the Dukes and Grand Dukes of Schwerin until 1918, and since 1990 it has been the seat of government of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The castle also welcomes tourists.

Visiting Schwerin Castle

For us, the visit to Schwerin Castle was the very last stop in Germany on this trip, before it was time to take the ferry to Sweden. That we were now closer to Scandinavia was clearly noticeable. So much Swedish and Danish that we heard in the castle and the castle garden - we had not heard that for a long time.

At Schwerin Castle you can stroll through the gardens, which are free and always open. You can also, for a fee, visit the castle's halls, which we also chose to do.

Visiting the halls of the castle

In Schwerin Castle you are allowed to walk around on your own, with or without an audio guide. There are signs in the rooms to tell you about the rooms and their history.

Schwerin is a beautiful castle, with many fine halls and rooms. Well worth visiting we thought!

The castle also has several rooms with exhibited paintings, artefacts and gifts.

If you look out the windows, you have a fantastic view of the castle gardens and the Schweriner See lake.

The castle garden

The castle garden at Schwerin Castle is fantastically beautiful, and yet we have the feeling that we didn't visit all of it. The fact that you always have water near you makes the environment even more beautiful.

In the garden you will find greenery and flowers, but also arcades, arches, statues, monuments and caves.

Lunch in the Orangery

When you walk around in castles and castle gardens, you eventually get hungry. During the summer months there is a restaurant in the orangery and here we chose to have a schnitzel and a beer each. Good!

More to see and do in Schwerin

Is there anything else to do in Schwerin? For our part, the focus was entirely on the castle, but right next to the castle you will also find the "Staatliches Museum Schwerin", where you can see art.

You can also check out Schwerin Cathedral or perhaps the Castle Church, visit the central marketplace, stroll along the waterfront or go on a boat trip.

Where can you stay or park your motorhome?

There are of course many different hotels and accommodation options in Schwerin. We visited the city with a motorhome, and had to drive around for a while before we found a free site. At the site closest to the castle, the electricity did not work, and then we drove past two sites that were full.

Eventually we ended up at Am Hauptbahnhof car park. Here we paid only 10 euros/day, which includes garbage collection and emptying of grey and black water. Electricity is also available, but you pay extra for that. We walked from the site to the castle, so good location too!

More to see and do near Schwerin

From Schwerin, the exciting town of Wismar, full of Swedish history, is close by. Other great destinations nearby include Lübeck, Timmendorfer Strand and Hamburg.

READ MORE: Things to see and do in the Hanseatic City of Wismar
READ MORE: Lübeck in Germany - Queen of the Hanseatic League
READ MORE: Timmendorfer Strand - beautiful sandy beach in Germany
READ MORE: Things to do in Hamburg - 23 sights and experiences

Have you visited Schwerin Castle in Germany?

Have you visited Schwerin Castle in Germany? How was your experience? Or do you have tips for other beautiful German castles?

Facts about Schwerin Castle

Country: Germany
Federal Republic of Germany: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Address: Lennéstrasse 1, Schwerin
Developer: Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Architects: Georg Adolf Demmler, Gottfried Semper, Friedrich August Stüler and Ernst Friedrich Zwirner.
Completion: 1857
Style: Romantic historicism
Owners: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Read more: You can find more information at the city's website.

Services and practical information

Opening hours: The castle is usually open Tuesday - Sunday, 10-18 in summer and 10-17 in winter. The park is always open.
Prices: Adults pay €8.50/person to visit the castle and those entitled to a reduced price pay €6.50/person. Borrowing an audioguide costs €2/person. Children under 18 have free entry (2022).
Guided tours: Guided tours are provided, for a fee, for groups and are booked in advance. Audio guides are also available in various languages.
Food service: In summer (April-October) there is a restaurant in the Orangery. In winter (November-March) there is a castle café inside the castle.

8 Comments

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Anette says:

What a beautiful castle.
There are so many beautiful castles in Germany, unfortunately we usually rush through this country on our way to Italy.
When I hopefully have more free time again in the future, I will definitely visit several of them.
Thank you for all the great tips and reports 😀.

27 July 2022 - 6:34

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  I know what you mean! In the past, we also often only travelled through Germany to get to southern Europe. Now we have really become fond of travelling in Germany as well 🙂 But the country is still there!!! Funny that the reports have been appreciated! 🙂
  
  27 July 2022 - 9:43
  
Anna in Portugal says:

We were never inside the castle, but liked the city and all the walking & cycling routes, so explored the surroundings instead.

27 July 2022 - 8:51

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  That sounds lovely too! 🙂
  
  27 July 2022 - 9:43
  
Lena+in+Wales+and+Spain says:

Such a wonderful place!
A lot has changed there since the wall fell. Was there the first time just after the fall and only remember that it was not very well organised, but beautiful. On subsequent visits so different. Love walking around this incredible interior, sometimes a little too much of a good thing, but fascinating.
Interesting post, thank you!

27 July 2022 - 13:49

Husis blog says:

My owners had the same feeling as you seem to have had for this beautiful castle. Of course, the owners also wanted to see the inside and they didn't regret it, so nice.
I also had to stand in the same place as FREEDOM the first night. The owners became so fond of the city that they found another site, closer to a lake, which I was allowed to stay on the second night but still within cycling distance of the centre.
All good

27 July 2022 - 18:48

BP says:

Germany knows its castles. And this castle is no exception:-)

27 July 2022 - 18:57

Lena - good for the soul says:

What a beautiful castle! Like in a fairy tale!

Wow, what a trip you made in Germany and Teckien! And managed to keep such good quality on all posts. I think we have a lot of time when we are out for a week or so, and feel completely wrapped up in my head. So impressed with you and what you deliver! It really feels like a clear path if you are going to look around in Germany (and the Czech Republic).

Hug Lena

20 October 2022 - 5:55

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Schwerin Castle - fairytale castle in northern Germany

Schwerin Castle

Schwerin Castle - with a thousand-year history

Visiting Schwerin Castle

Visiting the halls of the castle

The castle garden

Lunch in the Orangery

More to see and do in Schwerin

Where can you stay or park your motorhome?

More to see and do near Schwerin

Have you visited Schwerin Castle in Germany?

Facts about Schwerin Castle

Services and practical information

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8 Comments

Anette says:

Helena says:

Anna in Portugal says:

Helena says:

Lena+in+Wales+and+Spain says:

Husis blog says:

BP says:

Lena - good for the soul says:

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