Experiences – Page 11 – European Traveler

Beginner’s Budapest

By Don Heimburger
Photos by the author

The Eastern European capitals are becoming “closer” to visit each year with better airline routes, and in some cases, reasonably-priced tickets. It’s really not correct to call them “Eastern,” a friend of mine said, because if you look at a map of Europe, they are still close to the “West.” Consider perhaps cities in Belarus, the Ukraine and Romania as “Eastern,” he suggests.

So Budapest, a recent destination of mine and the capital of Hungary, was not particularly hard to reach, after I determined that a Rail Europe train ticket was the most economical form of transportation from Munich. It was, however, a 7 hour and 22-minute train ride from the Bavarian capital, but with trains being an easy and relatively inexpensive form of European travel, I opted for that.

FIRST IMPRESSION
My first impression of this city of about 2 million people (it’s much larger than Prague), came as I departed the train and walked among hundreds of train travelers to the door of the massive train station, where I met hundreds more people on the streets. The city seemed vibrant, active and alive. It also seemed like I should have studied the Hungarian culture a bit more before I arrived, just to ground myself better in what I was about to see.

Divided by the Danube, the city is really two cities in one—hilly Buda in which is located Castle Hill—and Pest, located on the east side, and flat. The most prominent building on the river is the Parliament Building, closed when I was there because of a national holiday. In fact, the whole area was roped off by the police.

My overriding concern about going to Hungary was the language: I didn’t know a word of Hungarian, and I found it hard to pronounce words. I did learn that “Utca” meant “street,” “Hid” meant “bridge,” and “Furdo” meant ”bath.” I also found as I went along that I didn’t necessarily need to know any words in Hungarian. Most of the shopkeepers, hotel personnel and tourist guides knew enough English so that I could communicate well enough.

GUIDEBOOK HELPS
I’d suggest picking up a guidebook at a local travel store before arrival, and then arranging for a city tour of the highlights before attempting to proceed on your own. The reason for the city tour is that because of the size of the city, you’ll not likely be able to find all the attractions yourself, or want to walk to them yourself.

The tour (www.cityrama.hu), will take several hours, but you will have seen the crème of the attractions of the city. If you plan to stay a few days, the Budapest Card provides free services or discounts at more than 100 places, from public transportation and museums, to thermal baths and restaurants.

The three-hour Cityrama “City Tour” costs 28 euro and includes free taxi pickup at your hotel. The tour starts at the Chain Bridge, which is especially beautiful at night; a romantic walk along the river near the Chain Bridge is memorable. The Parliament Building, built in 1896 for the city’s millennium celebration, features a unique Neo-Gothic design, and reminds one of its counterpart in London. At one time a large red communist star was anchored from the tallest spire. Guided tours are available in the portion of the building which was vacated by the House of Lords.

Behind the Parliament is Kossuth Ter, filled with monuments such as the one to Lajos Kossuth who led an uprising in 1848. The Museum of Ethography (focusing on folk art and country life) in the old Supreme Court Building houses artifacts from the pre-WWI days in Hungary.

Shops, theaters, cafes and more line the Andrassy Ut as the road connects the City Park where you’ll find the zoo with its playful buildings, the famous Szechenyi Baths with several different pools to soak in, the Vajdahunyad Castle (a replica of the famous castle in Transylvania), the Museum of Fine Arts, the Palace of Art and Heroes’ Square. At the baths, you’ll soak in water containing calcium-magnesium-hydrogen carbondate and sulphate-cloride.

I spent quite of bit of time in this area of the city, and would have spent more if the weather had cooperated. Heroes’ Square is where you’ll meet the most “historic” Hungarians in statue form; the very large open area has as its backdrop the imposing Millennium Monument. In the adjacent City Park is where the famous Gundel Restaurant is located (see sidebar). During the 19th century, citizens used to ride their horses in this place and take along a picnic lunch. In the winter, the lake is frozen, so ice skating is a popular past time.

In the other direction, the House of Terror, former headquarters of the Nazi-sponsored Gestapo and secret police, Budapest Opera House, with its neo-Renaissance architecture, fits well with the similarly-elegant neighborhood on Andrássy Avenue. Hungary’s greatest architect, Miklós Ybl, designed the building for the Millennium celebrations. Construction started in 1875 and the building was finished in 1884. Ybl oversaw the work himself with painstaking care. Hundreds of statues and paintings decorate the building both inside and out.

Another attraction in Pest is the Great Market Hall, a multi-level cavernous structure at the end of Vaci Utca, which should take care of most of your food needs if you’re looking for fresh meats, bakery goods, fruits or vegetables or paprika, and it will also satisfy your need for Hungarian souvenirs. This is a good place to hang out for a couple of hours and find lunch at one of the many fast food stalls,

At Buda Hill, you can walk up the hill (about 30 minutes), or take the chairlift to the top of Janos Hill (1,729 feet). The Erzsebet Lookout tower offers a panorama overview of the city below. The area is divided between the “royal” section and the civilian section, with Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion highlights of the civilian section. Streets that lead away from Trinity Square are dotted with Baroque-style buildings and mansions that hide Gothic ruins.

For a rest and refreshment, try ice cream or a pastry at the Ruszmurm Cafe or sit for a while at Kapisztran Square and listen to the bells of the Magdalena Tower. Be sure to see the Royal Place complex. Once the home of lords and royals, it is now the home to museums.

There are more than 200 museums in Budapest, some of which include the Hungarian National Museum, the Budapest History Museum, the Hungarian National Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Military History and the Ludwig Museum.

An interesting aspect of Budapest that many may not know about are the caves in the area. Monaco is the only other city that can boast a dripstone cave—Budapest has several open to the public: there’s the Palvogy, the Szemlo and Matthias Hill caves (qualified climbers only).

More highlights:

New York Cafe—The most ornate cafe of 320 that operated in the years preceding WWI, and it has remained the most elegant since. Gilded columns, reliefs and shining mirrors evoke the aesthetics of the early 1900s.
The square-shaped chocolate cake named after Jancsi Rigo, a gypsy musician, and its original creator Joseph Dobos, is a caramel-covered cake you’ll want to try while you’re in town.
Margaret Island, in the middle of the Danube, is a large, lovely park where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

What have I left out? Actually quite a bit, but once there you’ll have plenty to do and see. Hungary’s capital is the hub of political, artistic and social energy. It’s full of history and grandeur, big bridges and wide boulevards. With impressive treasures and friendly people, Budapest is a spot you’ll not want to miss.

Prague to Goslar

This train ride features Eurocity, Intercity and Regional trains

By Don Heimburger
Photos by the author

My travel plans had taken me to Prague, and I wanted to visit the medieval town of Goslar, Germany near the Harz Mountains. I had time to get there, and opted for a seven hour train ride so I could relax, unwind and see the scenery. Besides, trains are magic, and it’s much more fun to see the countryside from a train than it is from 30,000 feet up in the clouds.

Leaving my Prague hotel early morning, I take a short tram ride to a subway, and 15 minutes later walk up into the light of day where Prague’s Holesovice train station awaits me.

My particular concern is that I can’t read a word of Czech: Nada. Rien. Nichts.

FINDING MY TRAIN
Waiting in line at the station to check the status of seating on my Eurocity train leaving at 6:40 a.m.—that’s correct a.m.—a man darts in front of me. I can’t even say “excuse me” in Czech. And I can’t get much information that I can understand from the railway clerk, who sends me to another office down the corridor.

But I eventually learn that EC 178 (Eurocity) to Berlin is on time, that I likely won’t need a reservation in addition to my first class ticket, and that I’ll need to wait a few more minutes before I go out onto the platform. Once I make it to the platform, people stream out a few minutes before the train is due in, and once the train is stopped, they all board relatively fast. You have to in Europe, or the train leaves without you.

I noted that the departure/arrival screen in the station–-not a large board like in most major European cities–was very small, and that there wasn’t room for more than several train listings at a time; perhaps not many intercity trains come and go from Prague.

ON BOARD
The car I sit in features good, comfortable seats–there are two first class cars, and I’m next to the on-board restaurant car. At my first class seat, tables fold down from the seat in front (like on an airplane), the chairs are adjustable, the windows are large in width and height, there are foot rests, and there’s luggage space above the seat. I could cross my legs and not block traffic as I sat in the aisle seat.

As the train pushed through Prague and into the countryside, I could tell me were accelerating, and the engineer was using his electric locomotive to give us “the juice.” I suspect we were doing at least 100 mph at times.

When meal time came—enough of the menu was in English, with the help of some of the German I know—that I didn’t starve.

There were plenty of beverages available from coffee, lattes and espresso, to tea, wine and beer. Or you could order a Pepsi Cola. Other foods available included croissants, cheeses, sandwiches, soups and a vegetarian plate.

Dresden was the first stop once the train crossed the border into Germany.

CHANGE IN BERLIN
At the new Berlin train station, I had 18 minutes to hoof it to track 13 from track 7 (on a different level of the station)…and the conductor told me and the schedule in my hand called for me to change levels in the station. From there I boarded an ICE train (Intercity Express) for Braunschweig, Germany and with a 26-minute wait there, I had plenty of time. From there a Regionalbahn train took me to Goslar, arriving at 2:08 p.m., right on time.

A big part of the trip is its predictability; you can nearly always count on Rail Europe trains to do what they say they’re going to do. And it’s fun riding, and watching the little towns, the historic castles and rivers fly by outside your window.

For more information and to get your ticket for an overseas train ride, go to www.raileurope.com.

Let the journey begin.

The Dazzling Las Fallas Festival

The winning falla, which cost more than 1.2 million to construct.

By Darryl Newman
Photos by the author or as noted

Valencia is probably best known as the birthplace of Valencia oranges and paella, but from March 15-19, you might think Spain’s third largest city was the birthplace of pyromania mixed with pageantry and celebrations. It’s the festival of Las Fallas, and it’s billed as one of Europe’s most spectacular events.

Fallas means “fires,” but is also the word to describe wooden-framed monuments that are placed in squares and key intersections throughout the city. The fallas depict current events, politicians and celebrities, and usually have a satirical tone. On the last night of the festival, the cremà takes place, the burning of all of the fallas, except the winning one.

HISTORY OF FALLAS
Why the burning? Over past centuries, carpenters cleaned out their shops by making bonfires of wood scraps. It coincided with St. Joseph’s Day, the patron saint of carpenters, on March 19. The wood scraps took on doll-like shapes and then became effigies reflecting whatever face was griping the neighborhood. Today the fallas still poke fun but appear as elaborate polystyrene (styrofoam) painted works of art that can tower as high as a six-story building and cost more than $1 million to construct.

MASCLETÀ
At 2 o’clock from March 1-19, there’s the daily pyrotechnic mascletà in the always-packed City Hall Square. For 10 minutes, about 250 pounds of gunpowder explode in a rhythmic cadence of deafening blasts. Different sound artists shoot off a concoction of giant firecrackers, thunderous smoke bombs and screaming rockets to wow the crowds.

The city hall falla turns into an inferno during the *crema*.

STREET FESTIVAL
Valencia’s Old Town, the largest in Europe, is the ideal place to stroll around looking at the hundreds of captivating fallas (pack comfortable shoes). To accommodate the over one-half million visitors to this coastal city, 700 streets are closed to traffic. Down any street, you may see a 100-member falla commission with women, children and men in 18th century ornate Valencian dress being followed by their lively marching band. The streets are also filled with other kinds of sound. Random firecrackers can be heard everywhere and don’t be surprised to see toddlers, yes toddlers, taking part in the fun.

On a food note, you might see paella being cooked over hot coals in the street. To quell any hunger, temporary food stands are also set up everywhere, serving hot buñuelos de calabaza con chocolate (hot pumpkin donuts with hot chocolate as thick as pudding). For a refreshing drink, you can try the local horchata from the tiger nut legume. It has a pear-like texture and a thirst-quenching sweetness.

Neighbors gather to cook paella in the street.

BULLFIGHTS
As with any good festival in Spain, there’s always a crowd at the Plaza de Toros (bullring). For nine days, the best bullfighters in Spain descend on Valencia. This year, two young superstars, José Tomás and Sebastián Castella, were on the billing among many other talented bullfighters.

It’s said that Spain hasn’t seen a bullfighter like Tomás in decades. He excites the crowd with his poise and fearless entanglement with the bull. Many of his passes let the bull in so close that it actually grazes him. Somehow, Tomás makes what is arguably a cruel sport seem like a graceful and courageous ballet with death.

FLOWER OFFERING
Amid the celebrations, there is a solemn aspect of Fallas as well. It is the procession of 105,000 Valencians from the edges of the Old Town to a 40-foot-high statue of Our Lady of the Forsaken, Valencia’s patron saint. Women carry bouquets of white, red or pink carnations that are offered to the Virgin. For two days, the flowers are placed in between wooden slats to fill in the pattern of her super-sized robe. The women become so emotional at seeing the Virgin that many are overwhelmed with tears.

NIT DE FOC
Every night there are fireworks leading up to the 1:30 am Nit de Foc (Night of Fire), the biggest fireworks show of the festival. Thousands walk across the bridges of the city to the Paseo de la Alameda to get a clear view of possibly the world’s noisiest and most colorful 22-minute extravaganza of fireworks. The sky is so bright with fireworks at the finale that it appears as if it is daylight.

CREMÀ
The last night is the cremà with 766 fallas burning throughout the city. At 1 am, the huge falla at the City Hall Square is the last to burn. It is doused with gasoline and packed with fireworks and loud explosives before the immolation. Within minutes it goes up in scorching flames. It’s a sad ending to the festival, but the burning is said to take away the past year’s negativity in order to make room for a new season.

The next morning, the streets are all clean and a calm takes over the city. It seems as if Valencia just simply turned over a fresh new page.

HOW TO GET THERE
Valencia is relatively easy to get to from the US. First, get yourself on a flight to Madrid, Spain’s capital. From Madrid, it’s a quick 40-minute connecting flight to Valencia. Iberia, the national airline of Spain, partners with American.

WHERE TO STAY
Valencia has over 100 hotels to choose from. I stayed at the Hotel Astoria Palace. It is the emblematic hotel of Valencia, ideally situated in the heart of Old Town and a few short minutes walk to the City Hall Square, cathedral and restaurant/shopping areas. Its central location is key for all the main events at Las Fallas.

The hotel itself has a long history of impressive guests from famous Spanish actors to bullfighters. Despite its 204 rooms, it has the elegant charm of a smaller hotel; it was recently renovated with a modern lobby and dining areas as well as with a spacious, high-ceiling bar. The rooms are classic Spain with rich wood furnishings.

During Fallas, the charismatic director Juan Torregrosa was present in the lobby and throughout the hotel to greet guests. He speaks English having had lived with a family in Arkansas for two years.

Vinatea, the hotel’s restaurant, features an extensive menu including a dozen unique rice and paella dishes. Its modern white setting with purple flourishes is the perfect place to dine and to try a bottle of wine from their extensive bodega.

WHERE TO EAT
If seafood is your thing, Civera, near the train station, is a must. You won’t believe their selection of shrimp and lobster in tanks to the scallops and dozens of different kinds of shellfish on display. All of their seafood is either from the bordering Mediterranean or Cantabrian seas. You can try the biggest oysters you’ll ever see — about the size of your fist. If you haven’t tried grilled sepia (local form of calamari) with olive oil, you’re in for a treat.

For a classic Valencian restaurant complete with paella and other typical rice dishes, try La Riuà. It’s one of the oldest establishments in the city with walls decorated with colorful and fascinating plates.

For artistic and mouth-watering tapas or pintxos, there’s Sagardi, a Basque tavern-like setting with an upstairs restaurant for dining including juicy T-bone steaks and popular fish like hake and cod.

WHERE TO START
Here are some key websites for Fallas and Valencia if you want to join in on the fun:
www.fallasfromvalencia.com
www.turisvalencia.es
www.spain.info

Munich to Budapest the ‘Rail’ Way

By Don Heimburger
Photos by the author

As I usually do, before making reservations for any European trip, I study a map to see where I’d like to go. Sometimes I am not aware of towns or attractions near where I’m traveling to, so a map can help identify those in short order.

The European map came in handy again recently when I booked a flight between Chicago and Munich, the first of what was to be a two-part air journey between Chicago and Budapest. When I discovered the Munich to Budapest air fare would be about as much as the Chicago to Munich fare ($746.00), I quickly gave second thoughts to how I would travel there. And who wouldn’t.

I didn’t want to drive through three countries (Germany-Austria-Hungary) because of gas prices, and my unfamiliarity with the laws and the roads. A bus would take too long, but a train, despite a journey of some seven hours, 22 minutes, would be economical and fun. And I had not ridden those rails before. In fact, Hungary was an altogether new adventure for me.

RAIL COST WAS NOMINAL
A check at www.raileurope.com‘s new website quickly showed that a one-way trip to Budapest’s Keleti Station would cost only $171 U.S. dollars 2nd class ($269.00 first class), and once on board I could sleep or relax from my Atlantic crossing. With the new Rail Europe website, all I had to do was key in my departure and arrival cities, and up popped the cost for the date I wished to travel.

I would arrive Munich via Lufthansa at 5:55 a.m. and have plenty of time to travel on the S Bahn (covered by my Rail Europe ticket) from Munich Airport to the main Munich train station (Hauptbahnhof) to catch Train #63 at 9:27 a.m. to Budapest.

The flight over was uneventful, and the plane landed a few minutes early. Not having been in Germany since the spring, I was craving a croissant made the way the Germans make it, so I waited at an airport restaurant, indulging in coffee and croissants, until 7 a.m. and a Deutsche Bahn office opened to have my train ticket validated (you must validate tickets purchased in the U.S. prior to boarding a train in Europe).

I made a small deposit to reserve an assigned seat in first-class just to be sure. If the agent tells you the route can become crowded with passengers, paying a little extra for a reserved first-class seat can save you from transferring to second class if all the first class seats are taken.

LARGE MUNICH STATION DEPARTURE BOARD
The large train departure board in Munich’s station is fascinating to watch, as new train numbers with boarding tracks pop up every few minutes, and people rush to that platform to board. My train’s notice appears on the board, I see my train roll into the station, and I board car #262 and settle into a comfortable, high-backed leather seat. The train, headed by an electric locomotive, the locomotive of choice in Europe, grabbed onto our string of passenger cars and eased us out of the station on time. Nothing new there—Europe’s trains are almost always on time.

Outside of Munich proper, I look out the window and guess we’re traveling between 95 and 100 miles per hour. I’m likely accurate on this, as European trains can move. A short time later the conductor confirms the train speed at 160 kilometers or 100 miles an hour. One reason trains can travel so fast is that the European track system is much stronger and can hold up much better at high speed. European rail lines have been investing heavily in their train tracks and facilities for years and years, and this is the payoff.

After a while, I note that the heat in the car is a bit excessive, but the conductor enters the car soon enough and announces the heat will be adjusted; it was. By 10 a.m. a porter with a trolley of beer, sandwiches, candy, rolls and chips arrives in the car to ward off any hunger pangs of the passengers.

As we near Salzburg, I can start seeing the snowed-covered Alps that I’ve come to be fond of; I see the Festung on the top of the hill in Salzburg, but only for a moment as the train rolls on. We’ve changed conductors since entering Austria. By the time we arrive at Linz the train is 8 minutes late, and continues to be behind schedule for a while.

TRAIN IS NEARLY FULL
Looking around at the seats and the various cars, I found that 90% of the train was full, and all but about 10 first-class seats had been reserved. If the seat is reserved in the first-class section, a small stub will be attached to the seat with the person’s name on it as well as their boarding and departure stations.

Walking up through the train to the Bord Restaurant, I found it not crowded, and serving Hungarian-style food, including goulash and Hungarian beers. The service was fast and the price was very reasonable.

We roll through St. Polten 10 minutes late, and by Vienna we are 17 minutes late and running into fog. I don’t remember if we arrived late in Budapest, but we were nearly on time nevertheless. The Budapest train station was massive, with a large arching trainshed, similar to many large city trainsheds in Europe.

The trip was as advertised, it allowed me to catch up on my sleep from the flight over, and it allowed me to get into the “European mood” for my travels for the next two weeks. I also saved a lot of money. And in this current rough economy, that’s a good thing.

Castle-on-a-Lake in Northeastern Germany

By Tom Bross
Photos by the author

Travelers who like continental lake districts should set their sights on Mecklenburg-Lower Pomerania, Germany’s least densely populated federal state.

More than 1,000 lakes and ponds speckle the countryside terrain. Seven of those are right inside Schwerin’s municipal confines—plenty enough to give this Landeshaupstadt state capital (population 97,100) the appeal of curving shoreline pathways, footbridges, causeways, pleasure-boat docks and south-side Zippendorf’s sandy beach. To reach the city, take an InterCity Deutsche Bahn train from Hamburg, a 57-minute trip (check www.raileurope.com).

Get acquainted with the Schweriner See (biggest of the inner-city lakes) by way of a short Weisse Flotte cruise to Kaninchenwerder and Ziegelwerder, a pair of woodsy nature sanctuaries frequented by 100 species of birds. Even more central, crisscrossed by ferryboats, the oval-shaped Pfaffenteich features spouting fountains and a terrace café.

If this local water world doesn’t satisfy outdoor enthusiasts, you can hike-bike-paddle through the beechwood-forested Warnotal valley, 43 miles northbound toward coastal Rostock-Warnemünde via hidden-away riverside villages.

First though, one of Europe’s most flamboyantly spectacular castles, inspired by Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II, fairly shouts for attention. Its pentagonal bulk stands on a lake (the Burgsee), consciously imitating Château de Chambord in France’s Loire Valley. Rising from medieval fortress foundations on a mini-island accessed by ornamental bridges, ongoing construction and impulsive add-ons produced the neo-Renaissance, gilded-domed Schweriner Schloss, finally completed in 1857. End result, amidst terra-cotta trimmings: a splurge of pinnacles, belfries and 15 turrets. For dramatic impact, floodlights illuminate the ensemble during nighttime hours. Surely an extravagant setup for the state’s Landtag parliamentary offices.

PORTRAITS, PORCELAINS AND OLD MASTERS PAINTINGS
For visitors touring the premises, however, bureaucratic doings play second fiddle to the castle’s cultural finery. Not to be missed: galleries devoted to portraits covering 600 years of ancestral dukedom, plus important Mecklenburg landscape paintings. Also here: a lavish oak-paneled banquet hall, chapel and big-windowed orangerie. Inlaid-wood floor patterns and silk brocade wall hangings embellish the ducal throne room.

Watch for the Schloss museum’s displays of furniture, jewelry and weaponry, but especially its sizeable porcelain collection (Meissen, Sèvres, Fürstenberg). Relax in the rococo tea salon or stroll through the flowery Schlossgarten, accentuated by allegorical statues (www.schloss-schwerin.de).

Thanks to past acquisitions made by Mecklenburg Duke Christian Ludwig II and his son Friedrich, the state’s Staatliches Museum Kunstsammlung ranks high as an outstanding fine arts repository. Surrounded by linden groves on Werderstrasse’s northern edge of lakeside Alter Garten greenery, this cultural gem (built 1877-82) resembles a Grecian temple. Gallery-goers ponder Dutch-Flemish “Golden Age” materpieces (Rubens-Rembrandt-Hals-Breugel), but influential German works (Cranach the Elder-Caspar David Friedrich-Max Liebermann-Lovis Corinth) shouldn’t be ignored. Also prominent: Thomas Gainsborough’s full-length, 18th-century Queen Charlotte rendition and (surprise!) a comprehensive French array of dadaist-surrealist Marcel Duchamp canvases.

The Beaux-Arts Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater, another Alter Garten edifice, stages operatic-ballet-theatrical performances—and is “home hall” of the Mecklenburg Court Orchestra, established 448 years ago for eminence as Germany’s third-oldest symphony orchestra, after Dresden’s Staatskapelle and Leipzig’s Gewandhaus.

PANORAMIC VIEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL TOWER
Schwerin’s cityscape emerged in remakably good shape from the economically skimpy GDR decades. So take in the architectural mix. Dom St. Maria und St. Johannes (on Bischofstrasse) exemplifies soaring early-Gothic north-German brick cathedrals. Climbing 219 spiral stairs to the tower rewards sightseers with terrific panoramics from a 320 foot altitude. Evocative tidbit: the 15th century golden cross crowning the steeple was salvaged from Wismar’s war-damaged (and, in 1990, GDR-dynamited) Marienkirche.

On the Marktplatz, you’ll see an unusual kind of Rathaus—basically Gothic but scrunched behind an English mock-Tudor façade. It stands near Schwerin’s 18th century Säulengebäude market hall, fronted by a dozen white Doric columns.

(right) Monument commemorating Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, founding father of Schwerin.

In 1707, a planned Schwerin Neustadt community named Schelfstadt came into existence. Narrow streets, clustered half-timbered Fachwerk houses, Baroque Nikolai Church and tidy kitchen gardens comprise a worthwhile visitor attraction. Same for this lakeside setting’s Freilichtmuseum Schwerin-Muess, recalling 18th-19th century rural folkways.

WHERE TO EAT, WHERE TO SLEEP
The Sorat organization converted a 1936 wheat warehouse into Speicher am Ziegelsee, where spacious guest rooms complement a 55-seat restaurant (www.speicher-hotel.de). Another Ziegelsee choice, Best Western’s Seehotel Frankenhorst, has boat dock, swimming pool and whirlpool-sauna amenities (www.seehotel.bestwestern.de).

Tops in town for deluxe ambience and Pffanteich vistas, Niederländischer Hof includes a wood-paneled library and mirrored restaurant (www.niederlaendischer-hof.de). Centrally situated Alt Schweriner Schankstuben is a budget category 16-room Gasthaus (www.alt-schweriner-schankstuben.de).

Among recommendable in-town dining options are upscale Weinhaus Uhle (www.weinhaus-uhle.de), beer-pouring Zum Stadtkrug Alstadt Brauhaus (www.altstadtbrauhaus.de), sophisticated Friedrichs, occupying a circa-1801 neoclassical mansion (www.restaurant-friedrichs.com) and ever popular Wallenstein, on a Schweriner See embankment, where patrons seated on the open-air pavilion are treated to views of the castle (www.restaurant-wallenstein.de). For a coffeehouse break, find elegant Café Prag, with sidewalk tables overlooking Schusterstrasse, and Röntgen on the Markplatz.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Tourist Information Schwerin (www.schwerin.com) is located longside the Rathaus. Or, go to the German National Tourist Office for answers (www.cometogermany.com).