Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [661]
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Eating & Drinking
If you’re feeling adventurous, try Wismarer Spickaal (young eel smoked in a way that’s unique to the region). And if you’re in a celebratory mood, look out for locally produced Hanse-Sektkellerei champagne – from dry (Hanse Tradition) to extra dry (Hanse Selection).
Along the Alter Hafen, seafood (including delicious fish sandwiches from as little as €2) is sold directly from a handful of bobbing boats. Most are open 9am to 6pm daily, and from 6am on Saturday during Wismar’s weekly fish market.
You’ll also find a concentration of restaurants along the nearby pedestrianised Am Lohberg.
Avocados ( 303 333; Hinter dem Chor 1; mains €4.90-12; 8am-3.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat; ) Diagonally opposite the Schabbellhaus museum, this little corner cafe is a treat for vegetarians for its organic fare, including warming soups, and vitamin-packed salads.
Zum Weinberg ( 283 550; Hinter dem Rathaus 3; mains €8.20-14.90; noon-10pm) This lovely Renaissance house, with painted ceiling, stained-glass windows, and uneven walls and stone floors, serves huge portions of fruity Mecklenburg specialities such as Rippenbraten (rolled roast pork stuffed with lemon, apple and plums).
To’n Zägenkrog ( 282 716; Ziegenmarkt 10; mains €9.10-13.50; dinner) Excellent fish dishes are the mainstay of this cosy 1897-established pub. It’s crammed with maritime mementoes and has some of Wismar’s best harbour views.
Brauhaus am Lohberg ( 250 238; Kleine Hohe Strasse 15; mains €9.20-12.80; 11am-late) This building was once home to the town’s first brewery, which opened in 1452. It’s now brewing again, with enormous copper vats and trailing vines occupying its central room, where you can soak it up with local seafood dishes. Live music regularly cranks up throughout summer.
Alter Schwede ( 283 552; Am Markt 19; mains €10.80-20.50; 11.30am-late; ) Baltic eel with herbed potatoes, catfish with mustard and a ‘captain’s bowl’ of pork, beef and turkey medallions served on beans with bacon and potatoes are among the specialities of this landmark spot, but there are also a few decent vegetarian choices. Upstairs is a clutch of appealing en suite rooms (singles/doubles €30/45) and a self-contained apartment (€60).
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Getting There & Around
Trains travel every hour to/from Rostock (€10.30, 70 minutes) and Schwerin (€6.90, 40 minutes). The fastest connection to Hamburg (€26.30, 1¾ hours) requires a change in Bad Kleinen.
Bikes can be rented from the Bahnhof.
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DARSS-ZINGST PENINSULA
Nature lovers and artists will be captivated by the Darss-Zingst Peninsula (Fischland-Darss-Zingst; www.fischland-darss-zingst.de). This far-flung splinter of land is part of the 805-sq-km Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft (Western Pomeranian Boddenlandschaft) National Park, which also encompasses the island of Hiddensee (Click here) and the west coast of Rügen Island (Click here).
The ‘Bodden’ are lagoons that were once part of the sea here, but have been cut off by shifting landmasses and are now rich with fish life. The seawards peninsula is raw and bracing, with trees growing sideways away from the constant winds. Further inland you’ll find charming ‘captains’ houses’ – reed-thatched houses with colourfully painted doors depicting sunflowers, fish and other regional motifs. Also common are Zeesenboote (drag-net fishing boats) with striking brown sails.
The area looks a picture, so not surprisingly it’s home to an artists’ colony in Ahrenshoop (www.ostseebad-ahrenshoop.de), whose century-old Kunstkaten (www.kunstkaten.de, in German; Strandweg 1; 10am-1pm & 2-5pm) gallery is in one of the region’s most strikingly painted reed-thatched houses.
Baltic coastlines are the source of almost all the world’s amber. As well as the jewellery on sale throughout Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, you’ll find the Deutsches Bernstein-museum (German Amber Museum; www.deutsches-bernsteinmuseum.de, in German; Im Kloster 1-2; adult/concession/child