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Gentle Baltic Sea waves run onto the beach, colorful beach chairs are dotted in soft sand. Cycling along the coast on beautiful paths, majestic cranes sail over quiet Bodden waters. In Hanseatic cities like Wismar and Stralsund brick gothic buildings are waiting for you, which are part of the UNESCO world heritage. And in the Mecklenburg Lake District you can completely relaxed Houseboat vacation or go on wildly romantic canoe tours. Oh yes, and then there are the delicacies - how about a crispy fish roll at the harbor first?

May we introduce?

The waves roll gently onto the fine sandy beach that stretches for miles. There is only a light breeze, and harmless 3-D absorbent cotton clouds add depth to the horizon. You sit in the Beach chair or on the bath towel, stretches his feet in the sand and reads a little, pauses, looks again and again at the Baltic Sea: How beautiful it is here - on Fischland-Darß-Zingst, on Rügen, Usedomin Kühlungsborn or Heiligendamm! Clear sea water, no stones, but a lot of space, the cry of seagulls and an often beautifully quiet inland. The fresh air, the horizon line, on which now and then a sailing ship balances along and the relaxed mood do the soul good. The daily grind in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern quickly disappears. It's clear that Germans particularly enjoy vacationing in this water- and nature-loving state.

Of course, the Baltic Sea coast is a good choice for those who like to look out over the wide sea while digging their feet deep into the sand. But there are also plenty of charming alternatives: The Mecklenburg Lake District experience by camper, canoe, SUP board or ship. Take a cultural vacation in the Mecklenburg-Schwerin region with its residential towns, manufactories and castles. Nature vacations at the Peene or a pleasure city trip to the hanseatic cities of Rostock, Greifswald, Wismar or Stralsund company.

The beauty: Culture and nature form a harmonious interplay in the northeast, even in the rural regions. You have plenty of space, you can relax. At the same time, while hiking and biking, you will always meet interesting people who have fulfilled their dream of a life all their own with their manor houses, stud farms, with their galleries or organic farms. And everywhere, of course, there are endless opportunities to change perspectives and experience the state from the water. In a canoe. On a sailboat. On raft tours, fishing trips or trips with excursion boats. With a bit of luck, you may also encounter beavers, otters, kingfishers or white-tailed eagles. The tens of thousands of cranes that gather at the many resting places in the state in spring and fall, for example, create a particularly impressive spectacle. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, you are usually close to nature and consider yourself a part of it. Forget the to-do lists in your head. Recharge your batteries, get your mind off things - and return home transformed ...

Short and crisp

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was the most popular vacation destination for Germans in 2019: 5.1 percent of all vacation trips of at least five days in length were to the northeast of Germany. Most people take a seaside vacation on the coast or the lakes - and enjoy the great outdoors. That's because Meck-Pomm is the most sparsely populated state, but it has 3 of Germany's 16 national parks, which is a German record. There are also seven nature parks, three biosphere reserves and hundreds of landscape and nature reserves. The length of the coastline is about 2,000 kilometers, if you count all the bays and the Bodden waters. The two largest islands in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rügen and Usedomare also the largest in Germany. And up there on the very northeasternmost coast, there are also the highest number of sunny days in Germany. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania - the Mecklenburger says Meecklenburch by the way - has the highest number of sunny days in Germany. Stralsund and Wismar two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And also the old beech forests in the Jasmund National Park and in the Serrahn part of the Müritz National Park belong to the UNESCO World Heritage.

There are about 2,000 lakes in the country (and, just a small, whimsical side note: about as many fish sandwiches are eaten per day up and down the country). The Müritz is the largest lake located entirely on German territory. There are 16,000 kilometers of waterways in the northeast. And the Mecklenburg Lakes Plateaue is the largest natural contiguous lake landscape in Central Europe - simply perfect for Houseboat vacation. For many boats, you don't even need a driver's license here. Another very special treasure are the 1,200 extensive gardens and parks created by master gardeners like Lenné. They are located around the 2,000 castles and manor houses in the state, including such gems as Ulrichshusen Castle or the Schwerin Castle. And 300 of these historic buildings receive guests.

Waiter.

A roll with smoked salmon directly in the harbor or a fillet of pike-perch in the restaurant by the lake, sea buckthorn juice from the Baltic Sea and wild boar salami from one of the 250 farm stores in the state. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a region that you should simply try your way through: Because no matter whether it's the ubiquitous fish, organic meat, homemade cheese or liqueurs from manufactories, everything tastes good - because the distances up here are short between farmer and merchant, between fisherman, hunter, cook and guest. And Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania also has a number of culinary festivals that will hopefully all be able to take place again soon, such as the Tüffelwochen (truffle weeks) in the Lewitz region, the Rügener Fisch(er)tage (fish days), or the charming campaign "Zu Tisch bei Freunden" (at table with friends) in the Mecklenburger Parkland.

Cover photo: The western beach on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula is one of the most beautiful in Europe © TMV / Allrich

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