Schwerin Castle

Schwerin Castle

A palace on an island

In the north German city of Schwerin, a fairytale palace rises straight from the waters of a lake, on its own small island linked to the shore by bridges. With its many golden domes, turrets, gables and towers reflected in the water, Schwerin Castle is one of the most romantic and beautiful palaces in Germany — so dreamlike that it is often called the "Neuschwanstein of the north".

A thousand years of fortresses

The island in Lake Schwerin has been fortified for over a thousand years. A stronghold of the Slavic peoples who once lived here stood on the island long ago, and over the centuries it was rebuilt again and again as a castle and residence for the rulers of the region, the dukes of Mecklenburg.

So while the palace we see today looks like a 19th-century fantasy, it stands on one of the oldest continuously fortified sites in northern Germany, with real history beneath its romantic surface.

A romantic rebuilding

The castle's present fairytale appearance comes from a grand rebuilding between 1845 and 1857, when the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin had it transformed in the romantic historicist style of the age. Inspired in part by the great châteaux of France's Loire valley, the architects gave the castle its forest of domes, turrets and ornate gables, creating the spectacular silhouette that crowns the island today.

Inside, the palace was fitted out with magnificent state rooms, a throne room, a beautiful chapel and richly decorated apartments, all reflecting the wealth and ambition of the grand-ducal court.

A seat of government

Schwerin Castle is not only a museum but a working seat of power. Today it houses the parliament of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, so the historic palace continues to play a central role in public life — a rare and fitting honour for such a beautiful building.

Parts of the palace are open as a museum, where visitors can see the grand state rooms and learn the story of the dukes and grand dukes who shaped it.

Gardens and lakes

The castle's island setting is matched by beautiful gardens, including a formal baroque garden and parkland, and by the lakes that surround the city of Schwerin. The combination of water, gardens and the gleaming palace makes Schwerin one of the most picturesque places in northern Germany. Legend even tells of a friendly little castle ghost, the "Petermännchen", said to watch over the palace.

Visiting today

Visitors can cross the bridges to the island, tour the palace's magnificent state rooms, throne room and chapel, and wander the gardens with their views over the lake and the gleaming domes. The charming city of Schwerin, with its lakes and old streets, completes the visit. Romantic, golden-domed and rising from its own lake, Schwerin Castle is one of the most beautiful palaces in all of Germany.