In another article we have already presented the most beautiful sights of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Here we want to deal with the most important practical aspects of travel and give you some important Mecklenburg West Pomerania travel tips.
The most important Mecklenburg West Pomerania travel tips
Climate and travel time
Mecklenburg West Pomerania is located in a temperate climate zone and is influenced by the foothills of the Atlantic winds and the Eastern European continental climate. Mild summers are followed by relatively cool winters that are colder than the German average. The Baltic Sea acts as a kind of heat reservoir here, preventing even colder temperatures. Nevertheless, the thermometer can sometimes drop to -20° Celsius in winter in regions far from the coast.
The best time to travel depends, of course, on your personal preferences. If you want to swim, the months of June to August are ideal, but the Baltic Sea resorts and especially the islands are then of course very busy. We recommend you to book in time. Due to the maritime climate, there are few clouds on the islands of Rügen and Usedom, making them among the sunniest areas in Germany. Especially in summer, the conditions here are ideal for swimming, even if the water rarely reaches a temperature of 20 ° Celsius.
If you want to explore the Mecklenburg Lake District and spend a fishing or canoeing vacation there, for example, the summer months, but also spring and fall are ideal. Outside of high summer, the prices for accommodation here drop significantly.
You want to explore the most beautiful cities of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern? This is possible all year round without any problems. But keep in mind that it can get uncomfortable here in winter, too, and that the coastal wind, which promises pleasant cooling in summer, can become quite unpleasant.
The most beautiful sights of Mecklenburg West Pomerania
Mecklenburg West Pomerania is rich in lakes, islands, forests and historic cities. This list should help you to find the right vacation destination for you.
- With just under 100,000 inhabitants, Schwerin is not only Germany’s smallest state capital, but definitely also the coziest in the country. It is best known for its castle, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Ludwigslust Castle is one of the most visited castles in Northern Germany
- Wismar offers many medieval houses and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- The island of Poel promises pure relaxation with its tranquil fishing villages
- The seaside resorts on the Baltic Sea are strung together like a string and all have a different character
- Rostock, the old Hanseatic city on the Marnow River, offers a wealth of sights and is especially known for its numerous brick buildings
- Warnemünde north of Rostock combines a beautiful beach with interesting buildings from the GDR era
- Stralsund on the Baltic Sea is only a transit station on the journey to Rügen for many tourists , but there is a lot to discover here, first of all the famous Ozeaneum
- Rügen, Germany’s largest island, combines natural beauty such as the chalk cliffs with sophisticated spas from the imperial era and is one of the most popular vacation destinations for Germans
- Hiddensee, the small neighboring island of Rügen, is especially something for those who are looking for relaxation and deceleration on vacation
- Usedom is located on the Polish-German border and is known for its wild beaches and beautiful Baltic resorts
- The Mecklenburg Lake District with its many waters is especially a paradise for fishing, canoeing and hiking
In a separate article we have presented you the top 15 most beautiful sights of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in more detail.
Special routes
By car
The German Avenue Road has its starting point in Göhren on the island of Rügen. It is almost 3000 kilometers long and leads to Lake Constance in southern Germany. Of course, that’s too long for a vacation, but how about exploring the route in Mecklenburg West Pomerania to Brandenburg by bike or car? This is the first section of the route and it is well signposted. The tree-lined, leisurely country roads give you a special driving experience where the ride itself, rather than reaching a destination, is the appeal of the vacation.
By bicycle
A ride on the Baltic Sea Coast Cycle Route is particularly beautiful. You can start in Schleswig-Holstein or – my recommendation – in Schwerin and then cycle via Wismar through forests, past beaches and through fashionable Baltic resorts to Warnemünde and Rostock. There you pack your bike and take the train to Stralsund. After exploring the city, you will continue your tour on Rügen, where you can easily complete the route in a week.
By train
In Mecklenburg West Pomerania there are many beautiful railroad lines. However, two narrow-gauge railroads are particularly worthwhile. The Mecklenburg Bäderbahn, also called Molli, from Bad Doberan to Kühlungsborn, connects some beautiful coastal towns. And the Rasende Roland, the island railroad on Rügen, runs between some of the most beautiful sights on Germany’s largest island.
Other exciting tours through Mecklenburg Western Pomerania are listed on this page, which is actually aimed at motorcyclists, but is of course also interesting for cyclists and car drivers.
Paddling and canoeing fans also get their money’s worth in Mecklenburg West Pomerania. Whether once around the Darß or on various routes through the Mecklenburg Lake District, this website lists several beautiful tours.
Special tickets and public transport
Of course, you can also use the long-distance trains of Deutsche Bahn in Mecklenburg West Pomerania. However, these trains usually only serve the larger cities. For smaller-scale long-distance and local transport, two companies are of particular importance in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania: Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg Vorpommern and Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn. In addition, there are some smaller private providers and the transport companies, mostly affiliated with the respective municipal utilities, which operate the streetcars and buses in the cities, above all the Verkehrsverbund Warnow (VVW), which covers Rostock, the coastal towns and the entire hinterland almost as far as the Mecklenburg Lake District.
If you travel a lot and want to visit several places in one day, I recommend the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Ticket of Deutschen Bahn. It is valid for one day and costs 22 € per person, whereby the ticket price for each additional person is only 3 € extra (up to a maximum of 5 people). So if you are traveling with the family or in a group, you can save a lot of money here.
There is also the Greifswald-Stralsund-Ticket. However, it is only valid between the two cities. Since the price is just as high as the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Ticket, I advise you to choose the first option.
Wenn ihr einen Ausflug ins polnische Stettin (Szczecin) machen wollt, könnt ihr das Pomerania-Ticket nutzen. Hiermit könnt ihr zwischen Pasewalk und Szczecin einmal hin- und zurückfahren, für 14 € ein gutes Angebot. Ebenfalls für Ausflüge nach Polen geeignet ist das Insel & Me(e)hr-Ticket. Mit ihm könnt ihr den ganzen Tag zwischen Świnoujście Centrum/Peenemünde über Züssow nach Stralsund Hbf fahren und dabei die Regionalzüge der Deutschen Bahn und der Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn nutzen (1 Person 25 €, jede weitere Person 4 €).
Wenn ihr aus Berlin kommt, dann ist das Stadt-Land-Meer-Ticket des Verkehrsverbunds Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB) ideal für euch. Mit ihm könnt ihr zum Sonderpreis von 24,50 € (einfach) bzw. 38,50 € (Hin- und Rückfahrt) mit dem RE2 vom Ostbahnhof bis nach Wismar, mit dem RE3 vom Südkreuz bis nach Stralsund oder mit dem RE5 vom Südkreuz bis nach Rostock oder Stralsund fahren und so die Küste erkunden. Praktisch: Die Hin- und Rückfahrt muss innerhalb von 30 Tagen erfolgen, genug Zeit also für einen ausgiebigen Urlaub. Die Rückfahrt muss nicht zwingend im Zug derselben Linie erfolgen, ihr könnt also zum Beispiel auch zuerst nach Wismar und dann später von Stralsund zurückfahren.
Ähnlich funktioniert auch das Ostsee-Ticket für 44 €, das auch für Fernverkehrszüge gilt. Details zum Ticket findet ihr hier.
In the cities and on the islands, it is best to get single or day tickets, unless you have a regional ticket.
It is also important to note that the frequency of trains and buses here in the far north is often not so good. Although standard routes are served frequently, there are also lines, for example on Rügen, which are served only every two hours even in midsummer. Planning ahead is therefore very important!
On the road with the car
Since bus and train schedules are not always ideal, the car is of course a good alternative to get around Mecklenburg West Pomerania. This is especially true if you want to visit more remote places on the islands or on the Mecklenburg Lake District and do not limit your vacation to sightseeing.
In Mecklenburg West Pomerania there are about 600 kilometers of highways:
- The A11 runs between Poland and Berlin. However, the stretch in the area of Mecklenburg West Pomerania is only 18 kilometers long. Traveling via the A11 is therefore particularly interesting if you are going to Poland from Berlin or in the other direction and only want to make a detour into eastern Mecklenburg Western Pomerania.
- Even more interesting is the A14, which connects Wismar and Schwerin. This shortens the already relatively short travel time between the two cities.
- The A19 connects Rostock with Wittstock/Dosse in Brandenburg. If you are coming from Berlin, this is the best travel option, as in Wittstock/Dosse you have access to the A10, which runs past the capital. The A19 also passes the Mecklenburg Lake District on the way. So if you are planning a vacation there coming from Rostock, this is the ideal travel option.
- The A20 connects Lübeck with Neubrandenburg. However, the A20 never passes the tourist highlights, but crosses the hinterland between the coast and the lake district.
In addition, there are numerous federal highways. The most important of these is the B105, as it runs close to the coast coming from Lübeck and ends in Greifswald.
The road conditions are mostly excellent, but on Rügen there are still many roads with cobblestones and old concrete slabs. On the other hand, the German Avenue Road described above, one of the most beautiful travel routes in Germany, starts here.
Finding a place to stay
Of course, there are plenty of hotels in Mecklenburg West Pomerania. Especially in the cities, these are usually available without any problems, even in the high season. However, many of them have a dynamic price system that is based on the current occupancy rate. If you book in good time, you can of course save a lot of money here.
Booking in advance is an absolute must, especially in the Baltic resorts on the mainland and on the islands. If you are looking for a place to stay in the summer and do not book ahead of time, you will either have to pay very high prices or you will be left out in the cold, as everything in the resort is fully booked.
This also applies to the numerous apartments that are offered by different operators or privately. Here it may be that you have to book several months in advance to get hold of an apartment. Many apartments are offered all year round, in autumn or winter you often pay only half of the summer price.
Campsites are often fully booked, especially in the summer season. Many campsites close in winter, but prices drop significantly in the off-season.
Typical food and drinks
The German writer Karl Julius Weber once wrote about the local cuisine: “The people live mostly on potatoes, on scrawny fruit, on white cabbage, turnips and horse beans”. Don’t worry, that has changed radically today. The cuisine in Mecklenburg West Pomerania is strongly influenced by its proximity to the sea. Anyone who has ever been to a coastal town will love the freshly caught fish and the merchants with their fish rolls in the harbors. In addition to simple and refined fish dishes, there are also many down-to-earth meat dishes and plenty of game.
One of the regional specialties is the use of sea buckthorn. This plant grows only near the coast. The relatively bitter, orange-colored fruits are used to make jams, but also wine, juice and especially liqueur. A nice souvenir to take home!
Speaking of drinks: Grog is not only enjoyed by sailors, but also by people from Mecklenburg West Pomerania, especially during the cold season. Grog is a mixture of rum, sugar and hot water, which warms wonderfully in winter.
The local beer brands Darguner, Rostocker and Lübzer are available everywhere. In recent years, the Störtebeker Brewery from Stralsund has been particularly successful, winning numerous prizes at international brewery competitions.
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What do you think? Do you have any other Mecklenburg Western Pomerania travel tips? Write us your Mecklenburg Western Pomerania travel tips in the comments!
