Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Lower Pomerania) is a mosaic of regions with an eventful history. In the 12th century indigenous Slav tribes were colonized and converted to Christianity. In the Middle Ages several towns became rich trading centres and joined the Hanseatic League. From the 18th century, the Swedish Empire was the most powerful political force in this part of Europe, ruling Wismar until 1903, and Rügen and Stralsund until when the territories became part of Prussia, and later the German Reich. The Baltic towns suffered terrible destruction during World War II, followed by decades of neglect under the German Democratic Republic.

Although still one of the poorest states in Germany, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has become an idyllic holiday destination. The medieval towns of Schwerin, Wismar, Rostock and Stralsund, as well as several magnificent architectural monuments, provide reason enough to visit this part of Germany, and it also offers a largely untouched landscape of forests and lakes. Along the Baltic (Ostsee) coastline, tourists delight in the beautiful sandy beaches of Darss or Usedom, but above all they head for the island of Rügen, with its distinctive white cliffs.