The incredible German city 'better' than Berlin, Munich and Hamburg

There is an underrated German city that is considered even more exciting than the country's capital by some. German cities are each unique with their offerings. In Berlin, you will find a thriving art scene and an edgy, brutalist atmosphere. Meanwhile, Munich is a more old-timey place with its centuries-old architecture, and its beer gardens are not to be missed. Other popular spots in Germany include Hamburg, Stuttgart and Dresden, which is famous for its Christmas market.

However, one city might not be on your radar, but one travel expert has revealed it as the very best to visit in this central European country. One travel writer over at Hand Luggage Only revealed an overlooked German city as the very best to visit, and praised it for its palace, restaurants and its surrounding lakes. Germany is a beloved country for many tourists, thanks to its natural beauty and fascinating history, but there are certain spots you might not have heard of before.

One of those is the city of Schwerin, which the writer ranked as the very best German city to visit, revealing that they prefer it to more famous spots such as Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. Schwerin is the state capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a province of northern Germany.

Schwerin is a rather small city, home to under 100,000 residents. That is dwarfed by nearby Hamburg, which has a population of 1.9 million. Despite its small size, Schwerin has a huge amount to offer tourists.

Hand Luggage Only praises Schwerin for Schwerin Palace, a 1,000-year-old building that houses the state parliament. "Once you're here, make sure to grab some of the fresh seafood from Restaurant LUKAS (which is so tasty)," they tell readers. "For a great spot to rest your head, check into the Hotel Speicher am Ziegelsee, which is right on the waterfront."

The author isn't alone in thinking Schwerin is a worthy travel destination. Its top-rated attraction, Schwerin Castle, has been described by tourists as a "fairytale castle" with "magnificent scenery".

Other top-rated tourist attractions in Schwerin are St. Marien Dom Zu Schwerin, which is a cathedral in the centre of the city, as well as the city zoo, the Staatliches Museum and The Documentation Centre.

Overall, visitors have had pretty positive things to say about Schwerin. One TripAdvisor user wrote: "The main attraction is Schwerin castle. You need to see it to believe it. An amazing site as it backs up to water and towers over the rest of the city."

Another shared: "Schwerin has a lovely old town, I loved the lake, and it's the only state capital in Germany where the parliament is situated on an island."

You can't fly directly to Schwerin from the UK, but you can take a flight to Hamburg and take a train to the small German city, which normally takes around two hours. Trains can also be taken from Berlin and Bremen.

Schwerin beat some popular spots in Germany to be crowned the best visitor city by this travel author. At number two on the list is Hamburg, followed by Berlin, Cologne, Leipzig and Dusseldorf.