Most of us experience the former East Germany via a visit to Berlin. I don’t know about most but, for me, most of my time in Germany has been either in Berlin, Munich or the western parts (Dusseldorf, Koblenz, Heidelberg, etc.). This past summer, I got to venture elsewhere. More precisely, northern Germany with focus on Hamburg (read here for top things to do there for free) and Lübeck. It was while visiting the area around the latter that I happened upon an unexpectedly wonderful town: Wismar, in the former East Germany, a coastal city by the Baltic Sea. I was exploring off-the-beaten-path Germany.
Main square
To say that it was a great find would not be inaccurate. And it is a far cry from the experience of Berlin which, I am sure, is more of an outlier than the norm. Visiting Wismar is definitely off-the-beaten-path Germany!
Is Wismar the Jewel of the Baltic Sea?
I don’t claim to have explored the towns around the Baltic Sea to any great extent so I can’t say quite that. But I can probably say it is likely one of the great “undiscovered” (by the North American travel audience, at least) destinations on the shores of the Baltic Sea. 
I have to be frank: I had not heard of it at all before I landed in Germany for this trip. Only upon looking for a half a day trip to take from our base near Lübeck did I discover Wismar. I will let you decide from the photos what you think but know that Wismar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. But look at the architectural details of the town’s buildings!
A long history
Wismar was one of the Hanseatic League towns that dotted the coasts of northern Europe / Scandinavia. Its origins can be traced to the 1100s. I was surprised to learn that Wismar became part of Germany only as recently as 1871 and that Sweden only renounced its claim to it in 1903! Today, it claims about 42,000 inhabitants and it seems in the process of being re-born from and getting past the era of Communism.
A town re-born out of the ashes of communism
For a visitor, Wismar is a manageable town, easy to drive around, easy to walk around. Not hard to orient oneself from its main square where there is still a surface parking lot. It has a good amount of medieval architecture for a country where WW II destroyed many, many old buildings. And the town has been spruced up significantly since East Germany got rid of its Communist regime and the shackles it imposed. Wismar is colorful and feels alive!
It was interesting to learn that some key renovations / repairs from the WW II damage had to wait until the early 1990s to start. Almost 50 years of ruin – unbelievable how much neglect of the human soul and history Communism brought.
Restoration of old buildings still going on
Out of the ruins of WW II – churches in Wismar
St. Mary’s (St. Marien) is a key example of the ruins from WW II. 
The nave was severely damaged and it was not brought down until 1960. The bell tower survived (it probably had some repairs) but the nave was not re-constructed by design. That space, instead, serves now as a memorial to what was and what happened. Powerful.
The bell tower from 2 sides
Looking at the tower/facade from what would have been the inside of the church
The bases of the columns
Nearby St. George’s survived structurally but, with repairs carried out ONLY once Communism fell (40+ yrs later!), it has been re-opened but not as a church but as a museum. 
How the church was (unrestored still) in 1990…
The best part of visiting St. George is to go up its bell tower. It has an elevator so it is accessible to all. The platform on the bell tower provides a great view of the town around it (not quite 360 degrees, unfortunately, but good enough).
While our time in Wismar was short, it opened my eyes on what was possible to explore in the Baltic coast of Germany, and especially its eastern part. So much to learn and see (and to eat) in off-the-beaten-path Germany!
This was an amazing lunch and a nice break from sightseeing!
Beautiful image to close out this post on this charming Baltic town!
Save this image to your travel pin board!
