WISMAR - the famous Hanseatic City on the Baltic - Welcomes You
Hansestadt Wismar on the Baltic Sea marks its 10th Anniversary
Year as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site
Wismar, the harbor city on the Baltic Sea coast in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, together with its UNESCO Partner City Stralsund, is celebrating its 10th anniversary as an officially recognized caretaker of a universal cultural treasure - namely a fully-restored medieval Hansa Commercial League mercantile city. The Hansa group extends back over 800 years. It united a lartger number of merchant cities and trading ports along the Baltic and North Sea with many Channel and British ports.
While functioning as an entirely modern city with all of the contemporary activities and tourist events and attractions, restaurants, and arts showcases, the ancient town center is a replica of its own Middle Ages self. Visit the Market Place, churches, half-timbered homes, battlements and see them as they were hundreds of years ago.
Among Wismar’s most exciting highlights this Spring and Summer and extending through the year are these exciting events:
June 8 -10
Wismar’s Harbor Days Festival
Featuring numerous music groups on multiple stages, a giant Ferris Wheel, carousels, open air markets with artists showing their works and offering homemade wares and goodies. A great time to take an excursion cruise on Wismar Bay and see the historic harbor where major sea-faring cruise ships are built today in the huge dock yards. A grand fireworks display will be presented at dusk on that Saturday night, June 9th, 2012.
July 7
The 90th Anniversary Showing of the horror film NOSFERATU
Filmed on location in Wismar in 1921 at the St George and Holy Spirit churches and the still extant Water Tower and released in 1922 in Berlin, NOSFERATU is a classic of its genre, still terrifying views even today. It will be given an Open Air showing at the Zeughaus, free to the public. Come - if you dare!
July 27 -29
The 9th Annual international Street Theater Festival “BoulevART”
Featuring comedians, touring players, musicians, acrobats and street players-buskers of all kinds from around the world. Masks, costumes, disguises and theatrical hi-jinks will engulf Wismar from its main street Inner Boulevard all the way down to the waterfront. Everything from slapstick and comedy to high drama and tragedy. Get ready to laugh, cry, feast, frolic, grimace, cheer and fall in with the frolic!
August 17 - 19
The Wismar Sweden Festival
This commemorates the City’s 155-year old period as a Swedish possession. The venue includes the Old town right down to the harbor where replica military camps manned by period-costumed soldiers will perform exercises, re-enact camp life, give demonstrations in conjunction with a Baroque era open market. The biggest Swedish Festival outside of Sweden will highlight a grand regatta in the harbor that Saturday evening, August 18th.
November 24 - December 16
Wismar Grand Christmas Market
One of the most beautiful in “Meck-Pomm” replete with giant Christmas tree and hundreds of booths. Special Wismar treats include all manner of smoked fish, mouth-blown glass, and iron items forged by hand.
All Year long
Being a seaport direct on the Baltic, Wismar and its guests enjoy fresh fish and seafood at all hours of day and night throughout the year. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks around the clock. Fresh, smoked, pickled, raw or cooked - sautéed, fried, steamed, boiled, baked or grilled - plain or fancy, fish and seafood are Wismar trademarks. Try the Kömbuse for informal eating or savor the elegance of the upscale Oberdeck Restaurant.
Wismar’s historic famed, dark bock beer - “Mumme” -- dating back to the 1400’s was brewed back then by 182 different brewers using hops from no fewer than 148 hop gardens. It was am international trading staple, one of the reasons for Wismar’s ancient prosperity and fame. Among the first of these brewery-guesthouses was the Brauhaus am Lohberg, still functioning today. Meet the Braumeister, learn about his art, take a tour of this brewery and savor the free samples. Open year ‘round.
Amazingly, despite its high latitude, Wismar boasts Germany’s most northerly sparkling wine cellar having also served as a major port for wine imports since Medieval times. The Hansa Sektkellerei some 33-feet underground is where Wismar’s own Sparkler is produced in the classic Champagne-style, bottle fermentation traditions. Take the tour and savor the Sekt - throughout the year.
Click here to learn lots more about the Wismar-Stralsund Baltic Shore UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE Site: www.wismar.de and www.wismar-stralsund.de/en
