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 (2 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 (3 years ago)
Haben uns so lange dort aufgehalten weil die Ausstellung sehr gut gemacht ist.
Eva (3 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 (3 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 (3 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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The Palazzo Colonna is a palatial block of buildings built in part over ruins of an old Roman Serapeum, and has belonged to the prestigious Colonna family for over twenty generations.

The first part of the palace dates from the 13th century, and tradition holds that the building hosted Dante in his visit to Rome. The first documentary mention notes that the property hosted Cardinal Giovanni and Giacomo Colonna in the 13th century. It was also home to Cardinal Oddone Colonna before he ascended to the papacy as Martin V (1417–1431).

With his passing, the palace was sacked during feuds, and the main property passed into the hands of the Della Rovere family. It returned to the Colonna family when Marcantonio I Colonna married Lucrezia Gara Franciotti Della Rovere, the niece of pope Julius II. The Colonna"s alliance to the Habsburg power, likely protected the palace from looting during the Sack of Rome (1527).

Starting with Filippo Colonna (1578–1639) many changes have refurbished and create a unitary complex around a central garden. Architects including Girolamo Rainaldi and Paolo Marucelli labored on specific projects. Only in the 17th and 18th centuries were the main facades completed. Much of this design was completed by Antonio del Grande (including the grand gallery), and Girolamo Fontana (decoration of gallery). In the 18th century, the long low facade designed by Nicola Michetti with later additions by Paolo Posi with taller corner blocks (facing Piazza Apostoli) was constructed recalls earlier structures resembling a fortification.

The main gallery (completed 1703) and the masterful Colonna art collection was acquired after 1650 by both the cardinal Girolamo I Colonna and his nephew the Connestabile Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna and includes works by Lorenzo Monaco, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Palma the Elder, Salviati, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Pietro da Cortona, Annibale Carracci (painting of The Beaneater), Guercino, Francesco Albani, Muziano and Guido Reni. Ceiling frescoes by Filippo Gherardi, Giovanni Coli, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari celebrate the role of Marcantonio II Colonna in the battle of Lepanto (1571). The gallery is open to the public on Saturday mornings.

The older wing of the complex known as the Princess Isabelle"s apartments, but once housing Martin V"s library and palace, contains frescoes by Pinturicchio, Antonio Tempesta, Crescenzio Onofri, Giacinto Gimignani, and Carlo Cesi. It contains a collection of landscapes and genre scenes by painters like Gaspard Dughet, Caspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), and Jan Brueghel the Elder.

Along with the possessions of the Doria-Pamphilij and Pallavacini-Rospigliosi families, this is one of the largest private art collections in Rome.

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