Looking for a weekend away from Berlin? Love castles? Well then have I got a double whammy for you! Within just two hours from Berlin, you can visit the fairy tale Schweriner Schloss and the magical Schloss Ludwigsburg. Both castles are centuries old and have mesmerizing rooms to visit. Not only are the insides beautiful but the outsides are just as enchanting. The castle in Schwerin is located on an island in the lake, while Ludwigslust is surrounded by sprawling gardens and forest. So romantic!
Getting There
I’m crazy, but C doesn’t complain, so we were on another 7am train towards the Baltic Sea. Schwerin runs on the same line which heads to Wismar, passing through Ludwigslust on the way. Upon arrival, we walked to our hotel to drop off our bags. The Amedia Plaza Schwerin overlooks the Ostdorfer See and (if you’re lucky enough!) the Schloss as well.
The Schloss
Just a ten minute walk had us back in town. We crossed a few side streets to get on the shore of the Burgsee and there was the main attraction sparkling in the morning sun. Inside the palace, we got our tickets for the guided 11am tour (in German only), and then went into the garden to take some pictures of the magnificence and to take in some sunshine.
During the tour, we learned about the castle ghost – Petermännchen (Little Peter), after which so many things in town are named (the tourist trolley, a supermarket, some shops….). He does good things to good people and bad things to bad ones. Sounds fair to me, doesn’t it?
After the tour, we walked through the gardens closest to the castle. From the Orangery, there is a beautiful view of the lake. It’s also pretty spectacularly done with lots of colorful flowers and interesting architecture. There are two heraldic angels guarding the entrance.
Town
After enjoying the view, we headed into the town center to check out the Marktplatz, church, and Pfaffenteich (pond). Hungry, we stopped at Soupiere for spinach gorgonzola soup and tomato mango soup. Inexpensive, tasty, and recommended by my Rough Guide to Germany, we both left satisfied. On the square, we eyed the beautiful slices of cake everyone had from Café Rothe, also Rough Guide recommended. We decided then and there that we would eventually have cake sometime before the day was over.
The Cathedral
From the square, the Schweriner Dom (cathedral) is visible. The view from the tower was beckoning us to it, so we had to go inside and head on up. Even though you’re only able to go about half way up the tower (through a very tiny, tight spiral staircase), the view is still impressive. You can see the Pfaffenteich (pond), Schelfkirche, and Marktplatz. And from one of the corner windows there is an impressive view of the MAGICAL FAIRY TALE CASTLE we had just visited. I stared at it for quite a while and took about 20 terrible pictures of my dream home.
When we were finished drooling over the view, we walked back down the very tight, tiny spiral staircase and listened to the bells chime one o’clock (which didn’t take very long, but I always find it exciting). From there, we walked a little bit through the half-timbered streets of Schelfstadt (passing by the most highly recommended of the three Café Rothes in town) before taking a stroll around the Pfaffenteich.
Caaaaaake!
In order to enjoy the beauty of the October sunshine, we chose the Café Rothe on the square so we could sit outside. We both went inside (maybe twice) to look at the confectionaries on display. They all looked so beautiful and sounded so delicious, it was nearly impossible to choose a slice. I can’t remember the complicated names of our choices, but mine had cherries and poppy seeds and C’s had tons of cream and plums. Regardless of what they were called, it took a lot of will power to not order second and third slices of cake.
Schlossgarten
After the reenergizing boost of sugar, we walked back to the palace to stroll through the extensive gardens. There are a few sights located in the garden which we decided to find, including the Schleifmühle (a mill which produced cut stone and gems), the Hippodrom (a running track), and Jugendtempel (youth temple). The gardens slope upwards as you move away from the castle. At the top, there’s a pretty viewpoint from which to admire the castle.
Meat Only
After stopping by our hotel, it was time for dinner. Too tired to walk the short distance back to the city center (lol 7am train – sorry not sorry!), we had limited choice for our evening meal but went with one of the three German pubs nearby. There was nothing vegetarian on the menu, so we settled for fish. Being vegetarian in Berlin is quite easy, so I often forget how “every day” and central meat is for many people.
Off to Castle Two
Schwerin is surprisingly empty and quiet on Sunday mornings (well, Saturday mornings too). The only place we found open for breakfast was a bakery at the train station. It was absolutely bustling and the belegte Brötchen (sandwiches) were great.
Ludwigslust
At the beginning of our visit, we watched a video about the restoration of the castle. Even though my German is decent, the audio on the video wasn’t the best so I had some difficulty understanding. Even still, I could see all of the work and detail that goes in to repairing and restoring everything inside the castle. From flooring, to painting selection, to silk and painted wall panels, lighting and chandeliers, and furniture placement, there is massive amounts of labor involved in restoring a palace before visitors step inside. The precision in the details and methods used to recreate everything was quite impressive. And the cool part is, after watching the process of restoration in the video, you get to walk through the final product!
Surroundings
Finished exploring the palace, we went on to roam outside. Walking across the square, through a Holocaust memorial, we visited the church. Inside is a beautiful 3D-like fresco made of hundreds of rectangular paintings built together. Next, we went inside the gardens. There are woods, fields, gardens, a chapel, a canal, a Swiss cottage, old ruins – plenty to discover!
At the start of the weekend, I was psyched to see the Schweriner Schloss and hopeful about getting to Ludwigslust on the way home. I definitely got everything I wanted and more. The palace in Schwerin is magical perfection and the grounds and gardens surrounding Ludwigslust make you feel like you’re in a fairy tale. Plus I got cake. Doesn’t get better than that.