Schwerin: Port chaos and tourism crisis – debates about the future of Rabbitwerder!

Schwerin: Port chaos and tourism crisis – debates about the future of Rabbitwerder!

A lot is happening in the picturesque setting of Lake Schwerin, but not everything goes according to plan. A year ago, Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) opened the new port on Rabbitwerder, but the hoped-for blossoming as a tourist destination has so far failed to materialize. Loud Baltic Sea newspaper Boat owners report dangerous accidents because the stated average water depth of 1.60 meters in the southern entrance is only 70 to 80 centimeters. Island tenant Rüdiger Kopplin is calling on the city to remove the danger spots as quickly as possible.

The dispute between Kopplin and the city of Schwesin has now come to a head: the tenant sees himself under pressure due to a terminated agreement with the city and an eviction lawsuit that has been filed. However, he is optimistic and is willing to work with one of the 27 interested parties who applied for the tourism project. These applications include creative usage concepts to revitalize the island's gastronomic offerings.

Stagnant tourism

Schwerin, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since the summer of 2024, has not yet experienced the tourism boom that was hoped for. Loud Schwerin.news Although arrivals and overnight stays increased in 2024 - by 17.8% and 19.4% respectively - the increasing tourism was not noticeable in all areas of the catering industry. Only one company was able to record higher guest numbers, while others reported stagnation. Mayor Rico Badenschier has responded to these concerns and announced a planned tourism concept that is intended to specifically exploit the economic potential of World Heritage status.

The city administration admits that the previous figures were influenced by special events such as the celebrations for German Unity Day, and points to the planned event for October 3, 2024 in the hope of further increasing tourist numbers.

Traffic disruptions during the Five Lakes Run

The Five Lakes Run is on the program in Schwerin on July 5th, an important sporting event that has already received over 3,400 registrations. The event, which begins in the castle gardens, also entails traffic delays. The city has announced that there will be restricted access on several streets between 9am and 2pm, with one-way arrangements and closures on adjacent streets unavoidable. The online registration deadline for latecomers is July 1st, but registrations are still possible on the day of the event.

In view of these developments, it remains to be seen how the port on Hakenwerder and the surrounding tourist offerings will develop. The current focus is both on fixing infrastructure problems and on finding new opportunities for cooperation in order to exploit the region's full potential.

In another local event, the Schwerin Administrative Court rejected an urgent application from the organizers of the “Jamel rocks the Förster” festival. The operators wanted the district to relax the requirements for the event. This year, for the first time, the municipality is demanding a lease for the area used, which poses major challenges for the organizers.

The situation in Schwerin shows that it is up to each individual actor to work together to find new ways to take advantage of the many opportunities and really showcase the region as an exciting destination. It will be exciting to see what progress will be made in the coming months.