Schwerin Castle

Schwerin Castle sits on an island in the main lake at Schwerin, where a castle reportedly stood as early as the 10th century. For many centuries, it was home to the grand dukes of Mecklenburg. In the 20th century, it was a college for kindergarten teachers and a museum. Today the castle serves as a museum and as a government building for the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament. Visitors with an interest in the paranormal will want to look for Petermännchen, the resident ghost who has been spotted wearing 17th century garb. The castle, with its many towers and turrets, is considered a prime example of Europe’s historicist architecture.