Making the most of Wismar
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Cruise ships dock 1km from Wismar, within walking distance.
The port has just invested three million euro in its cruise berth, building a small terminal, a fixed ISPS border, and improving its fresh water supply and mooring capabilities.
Take along a printable map.
Wismar, a pleasant town in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania with a Baltic Sea port, was a powerful Hanseatic Trading League member in the 14th and 15th century. Swedish occupation for about 200 years, until 1903, strongly influenced the city’s architecture and style. Traces of Swedish control now appear everywhere in Wismar Germany’s historical old town center, from lovely Hanseatic gothic brick buildings to Swedish gable houses.
Four wonderful churches form Wismar’s landmarks in Germany. Especially remarkable is St. Nikolai’s large red brick cathedral, one of Europe’s biggest churches. Wismar’s small-city charm delights tourists; its brick constructions and churches earned it a place on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Highlights include the huge market square, its Dutch Renaissance-style Wasserkunst pavilion, and nearby buildings such as the neoclassical Town Hall and Old Swede (Alter Schwede) restaurant, built in 1380. From there, it is pleasant to walk the twisting streets of the Wismar Altstadt, which once was…
Getting around
Wismar’s old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is known for well-preserved medieval architecture, including historical buildings and Gothic churches.
One key Wismar landmark is St. George’s Church, an impressive Gothic church with striking architecture and historical artifacts.
Beyond the old town, explore further UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Historic Market Square and Wismar Town Hall.
Taxis are reliable but expensive.
Nearby places
In the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Wismar is a Baltic Sea port town. It lies roughly 45 kilometers east of Lübeck and 30 kilometers north of Schwerin, within the Hamburg Metropolitan Region.
Food and shopping
Look for precision optical equipment, including binoculars and cameras, as well as porcelain, handmade crystal, silver, steel ware, Solingen knives, leather wear, sports equipment, Nuremberg toys and Bavarian Loden cloth. Eastern Germany’s special purchases also include musical instruments, wooden carved toys from the Erzgebirge Mountains, and Meissen china.
Across Germany, snacks (Schnellimbiss) are widely available: Bock wurst (boiled sausage), Bratwurst (grilled sausage), Curry wurst (spiced sausage), fries and hamburgers.
German fast food is cheap, diverse and hearty, with many sausage stands, imbisses and specialty stands to choose from. Much is of Turkish origin, popular because it is cheap and healthy. The German's favourite Turkish fast food is the Doner Kebab: a thick pita generally filled with chicken or beef, complemented by fresh French fries and salad.
Money
Wismar uses Euro, with plenty of ATM machines around.
Ask smaller establishments first whether they accept Credit Cards.
Staying connected
German is spoken. Germans are considered punctual, disciplined and, last but not least, a little formal. German has two forms of you: "Du" and "Sie." "Du" is less formal and "Sie" more formal. With people you do not know, you should almost always use the "Sie" form with their last name.
Police Emergency: 110. Fire Emergency or Ambulance Call: 112.
Free WiFi is offered by most cafes.
Opening Hours and
All stores must close by 8 p.m., although some shut as early as 6:30 p.m. Saturday closing is at 1 or 2 p.m.; in big city centers, however, most remain open until 2 or 4 p.m.
On Sundays, every store is closed, apart from some bakeries open on sunday morning.