Greifswald –set on a shallow Bodden lake bearing the same name – is first and foremost a university town. The university, established in 1456, today is home to well over 12,000 students. The town originally developed on the field alongside the Eldena monastery which became famous in its own right when the town’s most celebrated son, the Romantic mysticist Caspar David Friedrich painted its ruins in the 19th century. Until the 15th century, the development of Greifswald was inextricably linked with the town’s affiliation to the Hanseatic League. Even today, three Brick Gothic churches and the Gothic gable houses on the eastern side of the town's market hark back to the halycon days of medieval Greifswald.

Those who head off along the Caspar David Friedrich Trail can learn the story of Friedrich's life thanks to 15 new plaques showing the artist's connection to Greifswald. Starting at the house where Friedrich was born in the Langen Straße, the route meanders  through the town before finishing at the Pomeranian State Museum, where a splendid collection of paintings and drawings are housed. Along the way, travellers have the chance to see Greifswald's Old Town on a short side-trip, while following in Friedrich's footsteps through the town's large modern graveyard to the abbey ruins immortalised by Friedrich. The most important eras of Friedrich's life and the significance of his work are explored by the Caspar David Friedrich Society. Further information is available here...

Powerful St. Mary's church is located in what is believed to be the oldest part of Greifswald. On the south-west side of the building, frescos from the year 1411 have been preserved.

St. Nicolas' Cathedral, with its nearly 100 metre tower, is regarded as a town landmark.

The prison tower, dating to 1329, is the last remenant of the city's fortifications. The tower has been used as an observatory; today, it is used by the habour master working for the town's historical haven.

Guided tours happen every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 2:00 P.M.; meet-up point is the city's tourist information centre. Tours for groups, city tours and tours covering all manner of themes can be organized upon request through the office.

A not to be missed highlight along the the European Route of Brick Gothic: "The University of Greifswald and St Nicolas' in the late Middle Ages". Focusing on the history of education in the town, the tour tells the story of a clever, cosmopolitan mayor who acknowledged the need for the town to find a new source of income in the 15th century, a time when Greifswald was facing economic decline. The mayor, Heinrich Rubenow, succeeded in turning Greifswald into a University Town: the "alma mater gryphiswaldensis" is Northern Europe's second oldest university and has hosted many students from the Scandinavian nations and Germany over the centuries.

By taking the tour, learn about the history of the University and St Nicolas' cathedral. Three historical figures are central to the story told along the way: Heinrich Rubenow, the mayor of Greifswald in 1456 who became the first chancellor of Greifswald University; one of the University's students, "Nicolas", who raccounts the 550 year history of the University, and Gertrude, who manages a bathhouse on site. Information about the tour is available from the University...