63
Above View of Wismar’s old town and
canal Below Ducal Schloss, on an island on
Lake SchwerinA little further, on Vor dem Fürstenhof,
is the Fürstenhof 3. An Italian-style
palace for the dukes of Mecklenburg,
this Mannerist building has terra cotta
friezes that retell the stories of the
Trojan Wars and the Prodigal Son.
Further down this road stands
St. Georgen Kirche 4 , the largest
church in Wismar. The Grosse Hohe
Strasse leading north ward from
the church portal threads down
to the cobbled Lübsche Strasse,
once a mer cantile thorough fare.
On its junction with Neustadt is the
Heiligen-Geist-Kirche 5 (open daily),
a fine exam ple of a hospital church.
Take Neustadt from beside the
church and continue down it to cross
the Grube – Germany’s first urban
canal, dug in the mid-1200s – and
to get to the ring road and the Alter
Hafen 6. The port may look familiar
to film buffs, as it was fea tured in the
classic silent movie Nosferatu (1922).
Opposite is the Wassertor 7 , the
last of the gateways in the town’s
medi eval fortifications. Return to the
Grube and follow it eastward to
the Nikolaikirche 8. This bulky late-
Gothic basilica was once the church
of medieval sea farers and, despite
its size, managed to survive World
War II’s air raids. View glazed friezes
on its façade before marveling at
the 121-ft (37-m) high interior with
orig i nal frescoes. Continue alongside
the Grube and then cross it on
Schweinsbrücke or “pigs bridge.”
Here stands the Schabbellhaus 9 ,
a Dutch Renaissance mansion whose
museum (closed Mon) con tains
one of the ori ginal “Swedish Heads”
among many paintings and curios.
Continue south ward on ABC-Strasse
to reach the Markt, then take
Bergstrasse back to the parking lot.
ª Turn right from the parking lot on
to Dr-Leber-Strasse, then turn left to
EAT AND DRINKWISMAR
Zum Weinberg inexpensive
This former Renaissance hall of a wine
merchant is located behind the town
hall and serves gutsy Mecklenburg
dishes such as green kale and bacon
or Rippenbraten (pork stuffed with fruit).
Hinter dem Rathaus 3, 23966; 03841 28
35 50; http://www.weinberg-wismar.deSCHWERIN
Die Orangerie moderate
Palm leaves and wicker seats highlight
the interiors of Die Orangerie, which
serves Mediterranean light lunches and
sumptuous coffee and cake.
Schwerin Schloss, Lennéstrasse 1, 19053;
03855 25 29 15; closed Nov–MarWeinhaus Uhle moderate
Dating from 1751, this Art Nouveau-
style restaurant in a barrel-vaulted
dining room serves classic upmarket
fare such as duck breast with forest
berries. The extensive wine list is superb.
Schusterstrasse 13-15, 19055;
03854 77 30 303 Zippendorf and Muess
Mecklenburg-Lower Pomerania; 19063
About 2 miles (3 km) from Schwerin’s
city center, the lakeside suburb of
Zippendorf is a great place to relax on
the beach or stroll around the lake.
About 1 mile (2 km) from here lies
another suburb, Muess. Its open-air
museum, Freilichtmuseum (mid-Apr–
Oct: closed Mon), pro vides a glimpse of
rustic Mecklenburg.
ª Continue west on the B321 past
Crivitz and turn left to Goldberg. Take
the B192 to Dobbertin, turn right to
Güstrow, and follow signs to Zentrum.
Turn left on to Wallensteinstrasse to
park near the Schloss.2 Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Lower Pomerania; 19053
Picturesquely situated amidst several
lakes, the state capital’s main attrac-
tion is hard to miss. The ducal Schloss,
bristling with towers and topped with
a gilded turret like a crown, looks like
something out of Cinderella. Duke Paul
Friedrich Franz II’s inspira tion for the
reno vation of his dynastic resi dence
came from the Loire’s Chambord
Chateau. The palace’s show rooms
(open daily) revel in ances tral pomp.
Across the palace foot bridge is the
state museum, Staatliches Museum
(closed Mon). Highlights include
17th-century Flemish art and works
by Rembrandt. After the visit, enjoy a
cruise (www.weisseflotteschwerin.de) on
the Schweriner See.
ª Drive around the lake to follow signs
to Ludwigslust, then to the B321. In
Zippendorf, park at Am Strand.DRIVE 4: Land of a Thousand Lakes
Swedish Heads
Wismar’s unofficial mascots, these
brightly painted, moustachioed fig-
ures have lions’ heads for hats. One
bust is in the Markt, two more are
near the mouth of the old port, all
replicas of two “Swedish Heads” that
stood at the harbor mouth during
the Swedish occupation. One theory
behind the name suggests that the
original busts came from an 18th-
cen tury Swedish merchant ship.join the B106 to Schwerin. Follow
signs for Am Schloss parking lot
opposite the palace.