Greifswald Attractions

Hand on heart: I had never really considered the once-significant Pomeranian Hanseatic city of Greifswald. Presumably, most people from the south of Germany feel the same way. The Hanseatic city between Usedom and Rügen is often overlooked when traveling to one of the Baltic Sea islands for vacation. However, Greifswald, with around 58,000 inhabitants, is beautiful, relaxed, and easily navigable.

Ideal for a stay of 1-2 days to explore the brick Gothic houses and the fishing village of Wieck. Did you know that Greifswald, thanks to its university and over 10,000 students, is the youngest city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern?

Do you know the painter Caspar David Friedrich? He was born here and painted the city from all perspectives: the marketplace, sailing boats in the harbor, the Eldena monastery ruins, and St. Nicholas Cathedral. He is the most famous son of Greifswald. A picture route leads you through the Hanseatic city of Greifswald in 15 stations, following the tracks of the romanticist.

In this article, I will tell you what to do and see in Greifswald, as well as provide tips on where to stay and some locations where you can find good food.

Will you join me on a tour through the streets of Greifswald to explore the attractions? By the way, here are my tips for the most beautiful Hanseatic cities in Germany.

1. Fishing village Wieck 2. Museum Harbor Greifswald 3. Marketplace 4. Eldena Monastery Ruins 5. St. Nicholas Cathedral with views from the 'Long Nicholas' 6. STP Art Gallery 7. Eldena Beach

Below are the top attractions of this beautiful and underrated city. Whether you are planning a short city trip or want to stay longer! Are you visiting Greifswald as part of a road trip? Then check out these tips for a road trip along the Baltic Sea.

Follow the River Ryck out of the old town towards the sea. The bike ride along the river is idyllic.

At the entrance to Wieck is the famous wooden bridge of Wieck. Since 1887, it has been manually operated whenever a ship turns from Danish Wieck onto the Ryck or heads out into the bay of Greifswald Bodden. This is definitely one of the most important attractions in Greifswald.

The bridge remains the only way to cross the river outside the old town, which is 5 km away.

Enjoy a fish sandwich in Wieck and walk to the sea to see the 'Three Wise Men.' These sculptures were created by Greifswald sculptor Heinrich Zenichowski and can be found at the northern mole; they are likely one of the most photographed motifs in Greifswald and Wieck.

We think the three sculptures resemble orks or Uruk-hai from The Lord of the Rings.

Across from it lies the 41-meter-long sailing ship Greiff, which is also worth seeing.

The Museum Harbor in Greifswald features over 50 historical ships, making it the largest museum harbor in Germany. Here you can book trips and rides on a historic sailing boat or other historical boats.

In front of each ship is a plaque with information about its age and significance. It's truly worth a visit, and the best part: entry to the Museum Harbor is free!

If you don't feel like biking to Wieck, you should book a tour by boat here. You can find more information on the official Greifswald website.

Relax at the harbor with a view of the Ryck at Jumbo Express or the Hornfish bar on the Pomeria.

Especially around the marketplace, houses of Northern German brick Gothic style are lined up. I love this style and can't help but spin in circles, admiring the architecture here.

In addition to the red-painted town hall, the gabled houses at Market 11 and Market 13 catch my eye.

A real market takes place in the marketplace every day; during our visit in asparagus season (late May - June), there was no question about shopping here.

The Eldena Monastery Ruins are one of the most well-known attractions in Greifswald. This ruin from the Cistercian monastery founded in 1199 attracts nearly 20,000 visitors each year. Entry is free, by the way.

The ruins stand as symbols and landmarks of brick Gothic architecture. Make sure to stop by here.

If you're already in Eldena, you should also check out the Eldena Post Mill. It is one of the oldest on the Baltic Sea.

The Long Nicholas, the 100-meter-high tower of the cathedral, towers above the city's buildings. Climb the tower with its 264 steps for a wonderful 360° view of the Hanseatic city.

Also, check out the St. Jacobi Church (Little Jacob) and St. Mary's Church (Fat Mary). These two buildings also stand out in the skyline from afar.

Both the cathedral in Greifswald and the two churches are part of the 'European Route of Brick Gothic'.

Art is important in Greifswald. After all, the most famous resident is one of the best-known painters of Romanticism: Caspar David Friedrich. Many of his paintings can be viewed at the Pomeranian State Museum.

Unfortunately, we couldn't visit this museum, but we did visit the STP Art Gallery. It is run by a friend of friends. Great events and openings are often held here.

Check the website to see if there's an interesting event: galerie-stp.de

The city beach of Greifswald is located in the Eldena district. Here you can relax by the sea and rent a beach chair. At the barbecue area, you can also grill food you brought with you.

I unfortunately discovered this cool tip only after my visit. Who doesn't find the world of wizards and witches interesting? Especially since Harry Potter, everyone is interested, right? However, the museum shows you why it wasn't so great in the Middle Ages to be called a witch or wizard.

Ideal for children is the witch playground at the Old Castle Penzlin. A zip line, climbing opportunities, and a witch tree house will light up children's eyes.

You can find visiting information on the website

To make your tour in Greifswald easier, I have marked all visited and noteworthy places on a map. Open it on your phone and navigate through Greifswald and the surrounding area with this city map:

For Greifswald, I recommend an apartment. It's cozier than the sterile-looking hotels. Some have also aged poorly. The Troge apartment ideally located in the old town.Here you can view the apartment.

During our last trip, we stayed at the caravan site at the museum harbor from Caravan Fasten in our own camper. The location is ideal for exploring on foot or by bike. The owner is very friendly. Electricity is included. You have to pay €5 (5 minutes) for showers. A fair price compared to other places in the region.

View the website of the motorhome site

The UsedomRad bike trail system with over 130 stations (up to Świnoujście) also applies in Greifswald. It's quite simple: download the app, pick up bikes at one location, and return them at another.

It's ideal for quickly riding from Greifswald to the fishing village of Wieck.

The best breakfast can be found at Café Küstenkind. Always good breakfast can be had at the bakery Junge (chocolate Franzbrötchen).

For fresh fish and amazing salads (beetroot with fish or potato salad), the best place to shop is at Wiecker Fisch in Greifswald. Tripadvisor says Fisch 13 is great. Locals told us that Wiecker Fisch is better. That's why we bought our food here and took it to go. Super delicious!

You can find fish sandwiches everywhere: always along the Ryck or in Wieck. We got good fish sandwiches at Reusenhaus Greifswald-Wieck.

For dinner, you can eat very well on the gastronomy ship Pomeria in the museum harbor.

You can relax at the beach bar Jambo Express along the Ryck

Around the marketplace, there are several restaurants that offer good food.

Since I often visit the Baltic Sea and am exploring the coast in a van during my visit to Greifswald, I recommend the following travel guides:

52 small and large escapades along the Baltic Sea in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - this travel guide offers numerous excursion tips and destinations from Greifswald. For example, Usedom or Stralsund is not far away.

Dumont Picture Atlas of the Baltic Coast Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and for the whole German coast, I really like the Picture Atlas Germany: Vacation at the Sea. All places of the Baltic and North Sea are included. That's why it's also twice as extensive as a standard picture atlas.

Untested but browsed and found it good: Marco Polo Baltic Coast Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Did you enjoy the article, or do you have any further questions or tips for Greifswald and the surrounding area? Then please leave me a comment.

Both are old Hanseatic cities that today shine in their restored beauty. I find both cities really worth seeing. Stralsund is on the way to Rügen, while Greifswald is well located towards Usedom.

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