Head to Germany's north because you love the water. From the posh pleasures of Sylt in the west, to the Baltic heritage of historic towns like Lübeck, Wismar, Stralsund and Greifswald, you can sense the legacy of the Hanseatic League in beautiful old quarters created with iconic black and red bricks.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; This stretch of the Baltic coast is certainly one of Europe's better-kept secrets. But Germans know better and flock in summer to its dazzling white sand and glittering seas. Around the state capital, Schwerin, the wilderness area of the Mecklenburg Lake Plains spreads across the state, with the Müritz National Park.
Schleswig-Holstein; Sandy beaches, jaunty red-and-white striped lighthouses, deep fjords carved by glaciers, sandpipers and seals have made this sweeping peninsula between the North and Baltic Seas Germany's most elite summer retreat.
These are the top experiences and sights in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern & Schleswig-Holstein, according to Lonely Planet.