Sightseeing Highlight: Schwerin Castle

Schwerin Castle is a castle located in the city of Schwerin. For centuries it was the home of the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg and later Mecklenburg-Schwerin. It currently serves as the seat of the state parliament. First reports of a castle on the location were made by the Sephardic merchant Ibrahim ibn Jacub in 973, who travelled through the Slavic areas of Europe. The palace was acquired by the state in 1918. The Staatliches Museum opened in the former palace in 1921 and mainly exhibits precious pieces from the collection of objets d’art, in the historic rooms. This extensive exhibition was made possible by the loan of 2240 pieces by the Grand Duke on condition that they were exhibited by the state, before the land acquired many of these objects in 1930. The palace was utilized by various institutions between 1943 and 1980 in consequence of World War II but also as a result of the general rejection of works from the second half of the nineteenth century by artistic circles. It was an expression of the change in the acceptance of historicism that restoration was commenced in 1974 of the throne room, whose coat of arms, orders and symbolic decoration symbolize, on one hand, the power of the duke himself and, on the other, the dominion of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This was followed by important inner rooms, such as the genealogical gallery in the ceremonial suite and the dining, tea, flower - rooms and the “Sylvester” gallery in the bel étage. They are witnesses of the high quality of the interior decoration with their excellent marquetry floors and richly sculptured and painted decoration.

Explore Dresden with Incantato Tours

Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area. Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendour. The city was completely destroyed by the controversial Allied aerial bombing towards the end of World War II. The impact of the bombing and 40 years of urban development during the East German socialist era have considerably changed the face of the city. Some restoration work has helped to reconstruct parts of the historic inner city, including the Katholische Hofkirche, the Semperoper and the Dresdner Frauenkirche. Since the German reunification in 1990, Dresden has re-emerged as a cultural, educational, political and economic centre of Germany. The Elbe Valley of Dresden was an internationally recognised site of cultural significance by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for five years. After being placed on the list of endangered World Heritage Sites in 2006, the city had its status as world heritage site formally removed in June 2009, for the wilful breach of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, due to the construction of a highway bridge across the valley within 2 km of the historic centre. It thereby became the first location ever in Europe to lose this status, and the second ever in the world.

City Facts about Leipzig

Leipzig is, with a population of 515,459, the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany and in the new states of Germany. The city was also heavily damaged by Allied bombing during World War II. American troops of the 69th Infantry Division captured the city on 20 April 1945. The U.S. turned over the city to the Red Army as it pulled back from the line of contact with Soviet forces in July 1945 to the pre-designated occupation zone boundaries. Leipzig became one of the major cities of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). In the mid-20th century, the city's Trade Fair assumed renewed importance as a point of contact with the Comecon Eastern Europe economic bloc, of which East Germany was a member. In October 1989, after prayers for peace at St. Nicholas Church, established in 1983 as part of the peace movement, the Monday demonstrations started as the most prominent mass protest against the East German regime. Leipzig was the German candidate for the 2012 Summer Olympics, but did not make it to the short list.
Leipzig and the music: Johann Sebastian Bach worked in Leipzig from 1723 to 1750, at the St. Thomas Lutheran church, and Richard Wagner the composer was born in Leipzig in 1813, in the Brühl. Robert Schumann was also active in Leipzig music, having been invited by Felix Mendelssohn when the latter established Germany's first musical conservatoire in the city in 1843. Gustav Mahler was second conductor (working under Artur Nikisch) at the Leipzig Theater from June 1886 until May 1888, and achieved his first great recognition while there by completing and publishing Carl Maria von Weber's opera "Die Drei Pintos", and Mahler also completed his own 1st Symphony while living there.

Discover Schwerin

Schwerin is the capital of the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2007, was 95,855. Schwerin is surrounded by many picturesque lakes. The largest of these lakes is the Schweriner See. In the midst of these lakes there was once an Obotrite settlement (dated back to the 11th century). The area was called Zuarin, and the name Schwerin is derived from that designation. In 1160, Henry the Lion defeated the Obotrites and captured Schwerin. The town was subsequently expanded into a powerful regional centre. A castle was built, and expanded upon over the centuries, on this site.
In 1358, Schwerin became a part of the Duchy of Mecklenburg, making it the seat of the dukedom from then on. About 1500, the construction of the Schwerin castle began; it was here that the dukes resided. After the division of Mecklenburg (1621), Schwerin became the capital of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Between 1765 and 1837, the town of Ludwigslust served as the capital, until Schwerin was reinstated. After 1918, and during the German Revolution, resulting in the fall of all the German monarchies, the Grand Duke abdicated. Schwerin became capital of the Free State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern thereafter. At the end of World War II, on 2 May 1945, Schwerin was taken by U.S. troops. It was turned over to the British on 1 June 1945, and one month later, on 1 July 1945, it was handed over to the Soviet forces, as the British and American forces pulled back from the line of contact to the predesignated occupation zones. Schwerin was then in the Russian Occupation Zone which was to become the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Initially, it was the capital of the State of Mecklenburg which at that time included the western part of Pomerania (Vorpommern). After the states were dissolved in the GDR, in 1952, Schwerin served as the capital of the Schwerin district (Bezirk Schwerin). After reunification in 1990, the former state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was recreated as one of the Bundesländer. Rostock was a serious contender as state capital but the decision favored Schwerin.
Schwerin’s unique landmark, the Palace, seems like out of a fairytale. It is situated on an island in the lake Schweriner See and used to be the seat of Mecklenburgian dukes. Today it houses the Parliament of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern plus the impressive Palace Museum. In the museum you have the opportunity to view the chambers and representational rooms of the grand dukes, the magnificent throne hall and much more. A skillfully designed park and beautiful paths invite you to wander through the Palace Gardens. And if after all that walking you need to sit down and take in what you’ve just seen, the Schlosscafé and the Orangerie Café are the perfect places to do so.

City Facts about Berlin

Berlin is the capital and one of 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million people, Berlin is also Germany's largest city. Located in northeastern Germany, it is the center of the Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Area, comprising 5 million people from over 190 nations. Geographically embedded in the European Plains, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. Around one third of the city's territory is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers and lakes. First documented in the 13th century Berlin was successively, the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1918), the German Empire (1871–1918), the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) and the Third Reich (1933–1945). During the 1920s, Berlin was the third largest municipality in the world. After World War II, the city was divided; East Berlin became the capital of East Germany while West Berlin became a de facto West German exclave, surrounded by the Berlin Wall (1961–1989). Following German reunification in 1990, the city regained its status as the capital of all Germany hosting 147 foreign embassies. Berlin is a major center of culture, politics, media, and science in Europe. Its economy is primarily based on the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, media corporations, congress and convention venues. Berlin serves as a continental hub for air and rail transport, and is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the EU. The metropolis is home to world-renowned universities, research institutes, sporting events, orchestras, museums and personalities. Berlin has evolved into a global focal point for young individuals and artists attracted by a liberal lifestyle and modern zeitgeist.

Welcome to Germany!

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 square kilometers (137,847 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it has the largest population among member states of the European Union, and it is also home to the third-largest number of international migrants worldwide.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, has been known and documented before AD 100. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire, which lasted until 1806. During the 16th century, northern Germany became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. As a modern nation-state, the country was first unified amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. In 1949, after World War II, Germany was divided into two separate states - East Germany and West Germany - along the lines of Allied occupation. Germany was reunified in 1990. West Germany was a founding member of the European Community (EC) in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the Schengen zone and adopted the European currency, the euro, in 1999. Germany is a federal parliamentary republic of sixteen states (Bundesländer). The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, G8, G20, OECD, and the WTO. It is a major power with the world's fourth largest economy by nominal GDP and the fifth largest in purchasing power parity. It is the second largest exporter and third largest importer of goods. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world, while its military expenditure ranked seventh. The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security. It holds a key position in European affairs and maintains a multitude of close partnerships on a global level.