A jump in East Germany: visita a Schwerin e Wismar
Ok Berlin, ok Monaco and Bavaria, but what's beyond… ex Iron Curtain, in former East Germany?
Trovandomi a Lubecca, in whose outskirts East passed the old inter-German border, I wanted to finally give an insight into former GDR! In the nearby Land (Federated) of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in fact, There are two beautiful and ancient towns:
- Schwerin, the capitale of Land, dating back to the Middle Ages, famous for its lakes and its beautiful Castle
- Wismar, belonging to the port city lega anseatica (Hansa), and one of the main ports of the former East Germany.
If you start from Hamburg or Lübeck, you can buy, on the website of Deutsche Bahn, IL “Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ticket“, at the cost of 23 eur/persona (+4 eur for each additional person), that allows you to use, for a whole day, all regional trains in the Land of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, plus those from / to Hamburg and Luebeck.
A price after all honest, especially if you are in group!
To take advantage of the day, I left at 7 o'clock Central Station (Central Station) Lübeck, coming to 8:10 A Schwerin, after a change of train in the remote Bad Kleinen.
The station of Lübeck in a cold dawn
The thing that amazed me, after leaving Luebeck to twenty minutes, It was the difference Landscaping: rusty rails and unused for decades that ended in nothing, old station buildings dating from the DDR abandoned (DB with the new station built a few meters after), junk in embankments the sides of the rails, shacks which stood near industrial complexes rusty, barren chimneys… despite the economic efforts to bring the “due Germania” 90s onwards, there is still a long way to go. We are light years away from the typical Bavarian landscape.
Even just dropped at the station of Schwerin, the impact is considerable: the area is surrounded by bulging buildings and ruined by vandals.
In the former GDR, There are still many buildings abandoned and vandalized
however, just come to close Lake Pfaffenteich (I told you that is the Schwerin “City of Lakes”?), you can admire a beautiful view of smallest capital of a German federal state, with tower Cathedral that stands on the opposite side of the lake.
Here I have taken over the area of Am Markt, the main square, which overlooks the town hall of Schwerin (Town hall).
After walking in the old town, I headed straight to the famous Schwerin Castle, seat of the Dukes of Mecklenburg, and now the seat of local government. The official opening is at 10, and input costs 6 euro.
Walking towards the Castle of Schwerin
Take from 2 all 3 hours to visit the interesting collections of porcelain (the European porcelain was developed in Meissen, not far from Dresden), collections of weapons, and the rooms of the Dukes.
Crossing the beautiful park, head station “Schwerin Mitte”, and take the train to Wismar.
In about 40 minutes, You arrive in this beautiful small town Hanseatic, nestled in a cove overlooking the Baltic Sea.
If you are fond of art, you can enjoy the tide of houses and Gothic churches in the Baltic, made of red brick roofs and finely decorated.
particularly, I was amazed at the St. Nikolai Church, the church of seafarers and fishermen, built between the end of '300 and the end of' 400. A triumph of Gothic that I advise you not to miss it for the world!
Sankt Nikolai Church, Built between 1381 and 1487 in late Gothic style, as the church of seafarers and fishermen.
Even Porto (Port) and the central square (Marketplace), with her Gosh and the fountain called “Wasserkunst” worth a visit but, in general, wander aimlessly through the silent streets, to jump back decades: the plaster on the walls ruined, They are still electrical equipment under the brand name of the DDR in German and Cyrillic, and some houses and warehouses are bulging so badly reduced, that seem abandoned since the war!
I will not reveal too, then I suggest you visit both cities, perhaps as day trip from Hamburg or Lübeck, as I did.
The photographs of my visit A Schwerin and Wismar are, Usual, in my gallery.
ITINERARY OF MY VISIT:
- Use the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern-Ticket DB, the cost of 23EUR, valid all day on weekends
- hours 7:04, from platform 1 Lubeck Hbf take the train RE 13083 by Bad Kleinen, arriving at 7:55. A Bad Kleinen, all 8, RE changes 79462 by Schwerin Hbf, that part from the binary 4. Arrive at 8:12)
- Schelfkirche and surroundings, Schelfstadt (It is a district of the city where there are small houses and narrow streets, Shelfmarkt, Market Square, e Schelfkirche St.Nikolai, an evangelical church baroque)
- Münzstraße (Beautiful road)
- Schwerin Cathedral (Evangelical Cathedral, style brick gothic, come Marienkirche in Lubeck. Open from 11 all 15, and you can also climb the tower)
- Am Markt e Schwerin Town Hall (Here it is also the tourist office. In the market square it has been a town hall since 1300, but it has been rebuilt three times between 1531 and 1651, and the current facade is nineteenth century.)
- Schloßstraße (Beautiful road to the castle)
- Schwerin Castle and Park (Renaissance, built between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries., It is based on the style of the castle Chambord in the Loire, and is the symbol of the state capital of Macklemburgo-Pomerania. E'sede Parliament, and in the past it was the seat of the Dukes of Mecklenburg. in fact, there is news of a castle in this place since 965. To visit the beautiful gardens, crossing the bridge, go immediately left. Worth a visit are the Throne Room, one to Lunch, and that of the Ancestors. In winter it is open from 10 all 17, and the cost is 6EUR, plus any 3eur to take pictures)
- To get to Wismar, all 13:43 reach the nearby station of Schwerin Mitte, and take the train RE 79463 Wismar from platform 1, arriving at 14:21
- St. Nikolai Church (Evangelical Lutheran Church built between 1381 and 1487 in late Gothic style, as the church of seafarers and fishermen)
- Water Gate (Beautiful door Gothic Baltic, that allowed access to the city from Porto, Port). it advances time, see also the nearby port (Seaport)
- Kramerstraße (One of the oldest city streets, overlooked by many shops and buildings, Come lo parent, costurito in 1882.)
- Marketplace / Town hall / Gosh / Wasserkunst (Con 10.000m^2, It is one of the "Rathaus" the largest in Northern Germany. Overlooking the market square, together with Wasserkunst, which it is a beautiful fountain built between 1580 and 1602 Renaissance-Dutch. Gosh, Instead, It is a building constructed in 1380, and it is so named to commemorate the Swedish rule lasted from 1648 AL 1803)
- Marienkirche (Only the tower bears witness to the past Gothic church, since this was badly damaged during the war, and deliberately destroyed in 1960, to be reconstructed recently)
- Furstenhof (Or "Princely Court" is a fine example of residential architecture of Mecklenburg, inspired by Italian Renaissance architecture. Built in '500, It was restored in 800)
- St. Georgen church (Evangelical Lutheran Church, dating from the 13th century., unfortunately it was badly damaged by bombing and rebuilt recently)
- To return to Lubeck: Re 79486 all 19:34 e RE 13094 all 20:03, or RE 79490 all 21:34 e RE 13096 all 22:03. In both cases, the change takes place in Bad Kleinen
ITINERARIO IN FORMATO GOOGLE MAPS (EVEN THESE POINTS OF INTEREST OF LUBECK): link
some, judging by the lack of information around, not seem goals battutissime, but it was very interesting to take a look at what, one time, It was the territory of East Germany.
A German friend told me that Rostock, Leipzig or Dresden are worth a visit, and that, in general, the cities of the former GDR are almost ignored by foreign tourists. Yet, in some cases, one can encounter in real historical treasures (remained intact during the war) !