Skip to main content

University and Hanseatic city Greifswald

In the North East of Germany, between the two largest islands of Rügen and Usedom, lies the versatile university and hanseatic city of Greifswald.

In 1199 cistercian monks founded the monastery Hilda which can be viewed as a ruin in Eldena today. Through its membership in the Hanseatic League, Greifswald experienced an economic boom in the Middle Ages. Today the city is a modern and important business, science, and technology location.

The three major parish churches – St Mary, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas and St. James Church – are impressive monuments from the time of brick architecture. Images of the famous artist Caspar David Friedrich are exhibited in the Art Gallery of the Pomeranian State Museum. Located in the historic Old Town area with its gothic gable houses on the market is the main building of the university with the auditorium and the detention room. Tours are available by appointment.

Many restaurants and hotels are looking forward to your visit all year round. Many well-fortified biking and hiking trails offer the opportunity to explore the university and hanseatic City of Greifswald and their environment individually. In the summer months there are many cultural events taking place: for example the Jazz Evenings in the monastery Eldena and concerts in the Cathedral as part of the Bach week.

Booking

Here you find your accomodation

Discover Greifswald

Sights in the university and hanseatic city

mappin

Greifswald-Information

Accommodation service, souvenir sales, ticket service and best advice - the Greifswald information is the best address in the University and Hanseatic city (not only for tourists).
The Greifswald information is located in the heart of the historic city of Greifswald, directly on the historic marketplace.The staff welcomes you in the University and Hanseatic city and advises you on accommodation and leisure activities.Here you...

Events

from 04.10.2023 to 31.10.2023

Greifswald Old Town Tour

The historic old town forms the heart of Greifswald. Adorned with Hanseatic merchants' houses and brick churches and enclosed by lush ramparts, the traces of the medieval past are still visible today. During the 90-minute city tour, visitors walk in...
mappin

Tourist Office Grüße aus Atlantis

Whether you are looking to book an attractive and interesting all expense tours, thematic tours or as travel expert for boat tours on the Mecklenburg Lake District and along the coast of the Baltic Sea – At the tourist office ‘Grüße aus Atlantis’ you receive your offer.
By booking one of our attractive and interesting all expense tours you can organize your stay in Greifswald already in advance. During the thematic tours you get to know more about the secrets of the hanseatic town and the region of Western...
mappin

Stadthalle and Theater Greifswald

The Stadthalle Greifswald is one of the central concert and event venues and at the same time one of the sights of the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald.
The town hall is connected to the neighbouring Greifswald site of the Vorpommern Theatre and is thus part of a larger building complex consisting of a theatre house and town hall. It was built from 1913 to 1915 in the neo-classical style.  The...
mappin

Pomeranian State Museum

14,000 years of eventful history on the southern Baltic coast on both sides of the Oder River are presented between the former Franciscan church and the city wall - in an award-winning building ensemble that impressively combines Gothic, Classicist and contemporary architecture. The precious collection of paintings presents works by renowned painters such as Caspar David Friedrich, Frans Hals, Philipp Otto Runge, Max Liebermann, Max Pechstein and Vincent van Gogh.
Various exhibits paint a multifaceted picture of the development of Pomerania since the first hunters and gatherers. An impressive highlight is the unique 30 m2 Croy carpet, a testimony to the high culture at the court of the Griffins, the Pomeranian...

Events

from 16.10.2024 to 05.01.2025

Caspar David Friedrich. Hometown

Caspar David Friedrich remained closely connected to Greifswald, the place of his birth, childhood and youth, throughout his life. One of the most impressive testimonies to this is the painting "Meadows near Greifswald", which is kept in Hamburg. In...
mappin

Greifswald Zoo

In the Greifswald zoo you can discover new things during all seasons of the year. Our park invites visitors, with its inhabitants and the natural history house with café. Zoo school, tours, children’s birthdays and family parties can be organized, if asked for. Opening hours: November - March: 09:00 am - 16:00 pm April and October: 09:00 am - 17:00 pm May - September 09:00 am – 18:00 pm
An experience for all sensesOut indigenous zoological garden in Greifswald is really worth a visit, no matter what the season. Lovely and naturalistically decorated animal facilities allow a new and interesting insight in the fascinating world of...
mappin

Guesthouse Köhler

Welcome to the guesthouse Köhler! You find us in the Green, about 7 km from the marketplace of Greifswald. We speak German and English and are child - and pet-friendly and offer common Tajine-cooking for lovers or curious people.
We offer three rooms in three different houses: a stone house, a wooden house (wood100) and a log cabin of canadian cedar. Each double room in the cedar house has integrated a mini kitchen and a bathroom. The guests in the other houses use community...
mappin

Church St. Jacobi Greifswald

The St. Jacobi Church, which is dedicated to the patron saint of fishermen, was first mentioned by name in 1280.
The brick church consists of a three-aisled hall and the slightly narrower square west tower. The originally higher tower had, until a fire in 1955, a truss attachment, which was not restored during the reconstruction of the tower roof. 
mappin

Botanical Garden Greifswald

The botanical garden was founded in 1763. The botanical garden is an establishment owned by the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald consisting of 16 greenhouses with outdoor facilities, Arboretum, ponds, 8000 plant species, cactus, giant water lilies, tropical orchids, condiment- and healing plants and other plants.
mappin

Arboretum of the University of Greifswald

We convey knowledge about plants vividly. Get to know the diversity of the fauna during a tour through the Botanical Garden and the Arboretum of the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald.
The Arboretum created in 1934 is a part of the Botanical Garden of the University of Greifswald. The facility is divided according to geographical criteria. A water lily pond is located in the centre of the Arboretum. The...
mappin

Caspar David Friedrich Centre

The Caspar David Friedrich Centre was opened in 2004 in the old soap factory in remembrance of the great artist and the most famous son of the city of Greifswald. It was extended in 2011 to include the entire former residential and business premises of the Friedrich family. The centre is an exhibition and document space as well as a research centre.
The Caspar David Friedrich Centre in Greifswald, the birthplace of the romantic painter, offers a wide range of information about the city’s famous son (1774-1840), his family and home region, his work and the Romantic era. In the historical...
mappin

Eldena Abbey

Eldena Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery, originally named Hilda Abbey. Only ruins survive of the monastery, which was founded in 1199 and is well known as a frequent subject of Caspar David Friedrich's paintings.
Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) made the ruins of the medieval Cistercian monastery Eldena widely known with his paintings and drawings. The remains of the once important monastery are embedded in a park with old trees, including 180-year-old oak...
mappin

Greifswald Museum Harbour

Gaff ketch and schooner, seaquat and ramship, cruiser and kragejolle - about 45 old ships characterise the image of the museum harbour in Greifswald, which was founded in 1991 following the example of the museum harbours in Flensburg and Hamburg. With this, the Hanseatic townspeople reacted to the increased interest in historic ships and traditional seamanship.
As part of the old city harbour, the museum harbour extends from the Steinbecker Bridge to the old grain silo and characterises the maritime flair of the Hanseatic city. The oldest ship that visitors can admire in the museum harbour is the Zeesboot...
mappin

Marina Greifswald at the Ryck

Marina Greifswald at the Ryck
The marina is located in the heart of Greifswald on the river Ryck. Due to its central location, the theatre, museum, cinema, as well as restaurants, doctors and shops can be reached from the berth within a few minutes' walk.The marina has jetties...
mappin

Greifswald Cathedral

Greifswald Cathedral is one of the most beautiful religious buildings in Northern Germany. With its 100 m high tower it towers above the Hanseatic city of Greifswald. From its tower gallery you have an impressive view as far as the island of Rügen.