5 Best Sights in Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic Coast, Germany

The town's showpiece square was the setting for military parades during the years of Communist rule. It's dominated by two buildings: the ornate neo-Renaissance state theater, constructed in 1883–86; and the Kunstsammlungen Schwerin (Schwerin Art Collection).

The Alter Markt has the best local architecture, ranging from Gothic to Renaissance to baroque. Most homes belonged to rich merchants, notably the late-Gothic Wulflamhaus, with 17 ornate, steeply stepped gables. Stralsund's architectural masterpiece, however, is the 14th-century Rathaus (town hall), considered by many to be the finest secular example of redbrick Gothic. The Rathaus is a mirror image of its counterpart in Lübeck, Stralsund's main rival in the Hanseatic League

One of the largest and best-preserved squares in Germany is framed by patrician gabled houses. Their style ranges from redbrick late Gothic through Dutch Renaissance to 19th-century neoclassical. The square's Wasserkunst, the ornate pumping station built in Dutch Renaissance style, was constructed between 1580 and 1602 by the Dutch master Philipp Brandin.

Here, you'll immediately notice the architectural potpourri of the Rathaus. The pink baroque facade from the 18th century hides a wonderful 13th-century Gothic building underneath. The Town Hall spouts seven slender, decorative towers that look like candles on a peculiar birthday cake. Walk around the back to see more of the Gothic elements. Historic gabled houses surround the rest of the square.

The triangular University Square, commemorating the founding of one of northern Europe's oldest universities here in 1419, is home to Rostock University's Italian Renaissance–style main building, finished in 1867.