Schwerin, Germany

Schwerin is the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in northern Germany, founded in 1018 and home to roughly 99,000 residents spread across twelve lakes. The 1857 Schwerin Palace, built on an island in Romantic Historicism style with 635 rooms, now serves as the seat of the state parliament. The 1248 Brick Gothic Cathedral rises with a 117.5-metre tower, the highest in eastern Germany. The 1840 Schwerin State Museum holds 17th-century Dutch paintings, and the 1844 Castle Garden covers 25 hectares. The oldest part of the city sits on a 1160 Slavonic fortress site.