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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User Reviews

Giovanna Poli (3 years 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 (4 years ago)
Haben uns so lange dort aufgehalten weil die Ausstellung sehr gut gemacht ist.

Eva (4 years 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 (4 years 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 (4 years 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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