Historic Centre of Wismar

Wismar, Germany

Wismar is a unique representative of the Hanseatic League city type, with its Brick Gothic constructions and many patrician gable houses. It has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2002, together with the historical core of Stralsund.

Wismar has preserved its medieval harbour basin, whereas the island location of Stralsund has remained unchanged since the 13th century. To this day the unmistakable silhouette of Stralsund is characterized by the outstanding buildings of Brick Gothic architecture. The town of Wismar was originally surrounded by moats, but these were filled on the landward side. The medieval port on the north side has been largely preserved. The so-called Grube is today testimony of the old man-made canal that used to link the harbour area in the north with ponds in the south-east. The almost circular old town is now surrounded by urban development that began in the second half of the 19th century. The streets of the old town retain their medieval form; the main east-west street is the Lübsche Strasse, tracing the ancient trade route of the Via Regia, which passes through the central market place with the town hall. The overall form and the silhouette of the town have retained their historic aspect.

The centre of the old town is the huge Market Place, one of the largest in northern Germany, surrounded by elegant buildings with styles ranging from 14th-century North German Gothic to 19th-century Romanesque revival to Art Nouveau. The square's focal point is the Wasserkunst, an elaborate wrought-iron fountain imported from Holland in 1602. The northern side of the square is occupied by the Town Hall, built in neoclassical style in 1817–1819. Another notable building in the square is an ancient Gothic warehouse called Alter Schwede (The Old Swede), erected around 1380.

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Address

Am Markt 4-22, Wismar, Germany
See all sites in Wismar

Details

Founded: 1229
Category: Historic city squares, old towns and villages in Germany
Historical period: Hohenstaufen Dynasty (Germany)

More Information

whc.unesco.org
en.wikipedia.org
www.wismar.de

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


St. Mary's Church (0,2 km)
St. Nicholas' Church (0,5 km)
St. George's Church (0,4 km)


Schwerin Palace (29,9 km)
Schwerin Cathedral (29,3 km)
Doberan Minster (37,7 km)
Bothmer Palace (21,5 km)
Groß Raden Archaeological Museum (32 km)
Rehna Abbey (30 km)
Cismar Abbey (45,7 km)
St. George’s Church (57,4 km)
St. Mary’s Church (57,1 km)

User Reviews

Giovanna Poli (5 months ago)
Absolutly "must have to see" in Wismar. The museum is really interesting and modern. Thanks to it you can know the history of Wismar and this area. The bulding is old but inside is renovated. There is a toilet and garderobe where you can left your coat etc.
Tauchnitz Ralf (7 months ago)
Haben uns so lange dort aufgehalten weil die Ausstellung sehr gut gemacht ist.
Eva (8 months ago)
Das Schabbelhaus ist ein interessanter Ort für neugierige Touristen, wissbegierige Schüler und aktive Senioren, die sich gerne für die Geschichte und das Leben an der Ostsee interessieren. Es ist ein gemütliches Museum mit Restaurant im Hof, wo sich Jung und Alt beim Lesen und Lernen wohl fühlen kann. Der Eingangsbereich ist Barriere frei. Ganz in der Nähe befindet sich ein Eiscafe und ein Blumenladen.
Peter Andersson (10 months ago)
Nyrenoverat historiskt museum i en rymlig byggnad som varit bryggeri och residens för bryggarens familj. Det finns god plats i de fina lokalerna att komplettera Wismars långa intressanta historia. Bra med textskyltar på tyska och engelska. Som svensk kunde man önska fler exempel på intryck från den svenska tiden.
Thomas Dowson (16 months ago)
A bit pricey for a museum that is essentially not complete. But what is already on show is excellent. A range of exhibits showing some 800 years of Wismar's history - right up to the present day. I really like the interesting use of different media. Well worth a visit.
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Cesky Sternberk Castle

Ceský Sternberk Castle is an early Gothic castle which was constructed, named and still owned by members of the same family. Today it is a residence that bears a long historical and architectural heritage and represents an attractive tourist destination open to the public. It is considered one of the best preserved Gothic Bohemian castles.

The castle was initially built in 1241 by Zdeslav of Divisov, later called Zdeslav Sternberg. The development of new firearms in the 14th century posed an unexpected threat to the defensibility of the castle. Its 13th century architects hadn't foreseen the danger of long-range firearms and its reinforcement became a necessity. During this period the Ceský Sternberk castle's fortifications were improved through the construction in the north of a three-story tower, which was connected to the castle by a rampart. In 1467 the castle was seized by the royal armies of George of Podébrady. Later, the ruined castle was regained by Sternberk's aristocracy, who, by the turn of the 15th to 16th century, had reconstructed the castle, renewed its defensive system and expanded it with the construction of a new cylindrical tower in the south and the Dungeon in the north. The castle managed to survive the looting of the rebels in 1627, during the Thirty Years' War. With the death of Jan Václav in 1712, the Holicý branch of the Sternberg family died out and its ownership passed to other families, who in 1751 built the lower palace next to the surrounding wall.

The ownership of the castle was returned to the Sternberg family in 1841 when Zdenék of Sternberg from the Konopisté branch of the family bought it. It remained in Sternberg's ownership until 1949 when it was nationalized by the Communist government of the Republic of Czechoslovakia. After the fall of Communism and the Velvet Revolution, in 1992, Ceský Sternberk castle returned to Jirí's son, the count Zdenék Sternberg, the current owner of the castle.

Ceský Sternberk Castle was originally built as a Gothic castle. Eventually it underwent several periods of reconstructions and further fortification and the Gothic architectural features were in parts concealed by the new reconstructions. Especially the interiors of the castle were realized under the Baroque and Rococo styles. In 1760, the master Carlo Brentano performed the elaborate stuccoing and renderings of the halls' interiors. The castle offers a rare collection of 545 copper engravings, depicting the entire history of the Thirty Years' War. Also, historical weapons and hunting trophies are exhibited within the castle's halls.

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