Schwerin investing heavily in tourism

26 February 2025

Visitor numbers rise in wake of UNESCO award - city now planning World Heritage Centre and new hotels

The Schwerin Residence Ensemble is now mentioned in the same breath as the Great Wall of China, the Acropolis and the Pyramids of Giza after being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site last summer. The award has aready boosted tourism in Schwerin with 199,713 visitors by last October over 168,001 in the same period in 2023. The number of overnight stays has also increased by a good 20 per cent. The celebrations for the Day of German Unity proved another boon, and the trend is expected to continue in future: "We expect positive demand from urban and cultural tourists in terms of both day visitors and overnight guests. We are forecasting increased demand in the off-season and a rising share of foreign guests," Michaela Christen, a spokeswoman for the city of Schwerin, told Hamburg News.

Residence Ensemble among top German destinations

Schwerin is now a must-see destination for foreigners, according to a survey by the German National Tourist Board. Guests were asked to choose Germany's top 100 sights - and included the Schwerin Residence Ensemble. Other top rankings for the Hamburg Metropolitan Region include the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, the Heide Park Resort in Soltau and the Wadden Sea National Park.

Plans for visitor information centre

The fairytale Schwerin Castle is the main attraction in the Schwerin Residence Ensemble, which consists of more than 30 buildings and complexes. Around 232,000 guests had visited the former seat of the Dukes of Mecklenburg by mid-December 2024. Around 212,000 people visited the castle, which is now the seat of the state parliament, in 2023. But is Schwerin prepared for all these new visitors? Guided tours of the unique ensemble of villas, churches and gardens launched last summer. "More digital offers will be created to open up otherwise inaccessible interiors," said Michaela Christen. Schwerin is planning a visitor information centre in the State Museum to highlight the World Heritage site and is preparing an architectural tender.

New hotels and holiday flats

A lack of hotel beds especially in the summer when visitor numbers peak has prompted Schwerin to increase its accommodation offers. Five new hotels are planned or already being built, Christen said, adding "We can't yet say when they will open, but in the long term we will be able to offer around 450 to 500 more beds - and another 330 beds in holiday flats." Commenting on the UNESCO award, Manuela Schwesig, Minister President of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, noted: "A UNESCO World Heritage site has economic benefits for our state capital and the entire state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania." In addition to the Schwerin Residence Ensemble, the historic towns of Wismar and Stralsund have also been added to the World Heritage List.

Tourism now growing industry in metropolitan region

UNESCO designates outstanding sites of cultural, historical or scientific significance as World Heritage Sites. These include the Speicherstadt, the Kontorhaus district and the Chilehaus in Hamburg. Lübeck's historic city centre is also on the World Heritage List, as is the unique Wadden Sea, which stretches for some 500 kilometres along the coasts of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.
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Sources and further information

Tourism in Hamburg Metropolitan Region

Tourism is a key factor in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. People in the region make around 255 million day trips a year, and tourist accommodation accounts for 81 million overnight stays per annum. Experts have drawn up plans for environment-friendly and climate-friendlier tourism in the region and for regaining skilled labour.