Wismar

Wismar is undoubtedly one of the most attractive towns in Mecklenburg. During the Middle Ages, it was an important Hanseatic centre, as evidenced by the monumental brick church, which is completely out of proportion with the provincial town of today. After the Thirty Years’ War, in 1648, the Swedes were established in the town, and rebuilt it as the strongest fortress in Europe.

In 1803 they leased Wismar to Mecklenburg, but never claimed it back.

The town centre has a grand market square measuring 100 x 100 m (328 x 328 ft), with Wasserspiele (water feature), a Dutch-Renaissance pavilion from 1602 in the centre. Water was piped here from a source 4 km (2 miles) away, until 1897, to supply 220 private and 16 public buildings. The most beautiful house on the square is the Alter Schwede (old Swede), built about 1380, with a protruding Gothic brick gable. To the west of the market there are two churches, which act as sad examples of the GDR’s neglect of its historical legacy.

The reconstruction of the Georgenkirche, badly damaged in World War II, was begun in 1989, and it will soon be returned to its former glory. The Marienkirche has only one surviving tower – the ruined nave was blown up in 1960. Nearby lies the Fürstenhof, residence of the dukes of Wismar.

The north wing is the most interesting – its Mannerist style was inspired by the Italian town of Ferrari and northern European ceramic traditions (such as Lubeck workshop). The magnificent sandstone portal is flanked by pairs of intertwined fauns.

Nikolaikirche is a gem of Wismar architecture. Spared in World War II, the façade of this late-Gothic basilica from the 14th and 15^th centuries is decorated with glazed friezes of mythological creatures, saints and, at the peak of the transept, a huge rose window. The proportions of the interior and the height of the vaulted main nave measuring 37 m (121 ft) are captivating. Some of the interior fixtures and fittings came from other churches in the city, which were either ruined or no longer exist, including the so-called Kr舂eraltar with a sculpture of the Beautiful Madonna and Child (c.1420). The room by the tower has the most complete cycle of frescos in the region (c.1450).