Becoming addicted to weekend trips, we planned an excursion to the Baltic Sea to get in one last camping experience for the summer. Our destination was Wismar, and C found a campground along the water in nearby Zierow. Leaving Berlin at an awful Saturday morning hour, our itinerary had us on the direct train to Wismar and then onward to Zierow via bus. Getting up early proved to be worth it. By midday we had the tent pitched and could spend the rest of the day enjoying the beach.
At the Beach in Zierow
Lucky us! On the way to the shore we found that fresh local fish was being sold from a kiosk right at the campground. We couldn’t pass up some Fischbrötchen (fish sandwiches) and Pommes (fries!) before lazing about on the sandy seaside. The tide was out but the wind was definitely in. Even though it was only the beginning of September, it was far too cold to traipse into the water, although we did walk out a bit onto the damp low tide sand to see some stranded jellyfish. The sun was warm, but the wind had the clouds rolling through so quickly that any sunshine was fleeting.
Using the campground map, we took a small hike along the sea, through some fields, into town and back to the campsite. It was early evening and sun was setting in the west. The light over the sea and shore was really beautiful. Having hiked a complete circle, we played on some of the playground equipment at the beach. There was a fun zipline and a trampoline built into the ground. After enough hopping around, we headed to the camp restaurant (“camping” in Germany is always “glamping”) to have more fish! Being on the Baltic coast is great for that.
S’mores – so good you’ll want… s’more!
After dinner, we went back to our campsite to toast S’MORES! While in the US this summer, I bought marshmallows to teach my foreign friends about America’s greatest campfire tradition. Unfortunately, most campgrounds don’t allow open fires, so cooking the ‘mallows on my camp stove would have to suffice (I love my Jetboil – thanks, bro!). Toasting the sugary white fluffies is hard to do on a stove, but we made the best of it. I burned mine a little too much, but C is a total first time pro! With a few squares of Milka chocolate between two Leibnitz butter biscuit cookies, it wasn’t ultra-melty Hershey’s with cinnamon graham crackers, but we definitely wanted s’more!
Wismar
The night was cool and breezy, but the morning sun was actually warm. We wished we had been a little quicker in cooking oatmeal and having breakfast, because we missed a good opportunity to jump into the sea. Since the bus to Wismar only arrived a few times a day, we had to catch an earlier connection or risk not seeing the UNESCO world heritage town at all.
In town, we discovered that we had chosen the right weekend to visit – it was Tag des offenen Denkmals (day of the open monument) in the Hanseatic city. Many sites in the city not normally available to visitors were open just for the event, and serving food or offering tours.
Die Kirchen – The Churches
The first site we stumbled upon after disembarking near the train station was St. George’s Church (Georgankirche). Since the Hansestadt has a huge harbor, shipyard, and manufacturing industries, it was a prime target for the Allies in WWII. Much of Wismar was destroyed, but a lot has been reinvested since the reunification of Germany. St. George’s renovation was completed in 2010. The interior has been left empty, which creates a strange feeling. Being in a completely barren church makes it seem really big and makes me feel really small. There is an elevator to the top of the tower, offering a great view of the city, St. Nikolas Church, wharf, and sea.
Walking towards the square, we went by the Fürstenhof, which was the Duke’s residence, and the juvenile prison (Jugendknast). We were able to check out the prison, but since it isn’t normally open for visiting, there wasn’t information to describe the rooms or history of the building. The food and cheery banners in the courtyard for Tag des offenen Denkmals was an interesting juxtaposition to the less joyful interior.
Moving on, we found just the tower of St. Mary’s Church (Marienkirche), erected in the 13th century, because the rest of the church was destroyed. There are three rooms to visit within the three main entrances of the original building, housing various displays about the history and construction of the church. Behind the existing tower, there is ongoing work to exhibit the church’s foundations.
At the Marktplatz, we saw the Wasserkunst fountain and town hall. But the big highlight was seeing our first Swedish head of the trip.
After passing through the main market square, we headed to St. Nikolas Church (Nikolaikirche). Inside was an interesting photography display of portraits of people in the area discussing home and identity.
Schabbelhaus and Harbor
Just over the Schweinsbrücke (pig’s bridge) from the Nikolaikirche is the Schabbelhaus, which is houses a museum about the city of Wismar. Inside is one of the original two Schwedenköpfe (Swedish heads). The museum is well-designed and includes interactive displays. I had fun pulling out all of the drawers and opening up all of the cabinets in the displays to see more artifacts and information.
Then we found the harbor and walked along the promenade. There were more imitation Swedish heads in front of the Baumhaus at the end of the quay (Baumhaus literally translates to tree house – but don’t get too excited, it’s not a tree house. It’s called that because the trunk of a big tree was used to block the entrance to the harbor by this house. Not as exciting as a house in a tree at the end of a marina would have been, but interesting nonetheless).
Finally, what would a weekend trip be without Spaghettieis? Plain and simple required for a successful excursion. This time I had banana chocolate Spaghettieis. Did not disappoint (thank goodness after the Baumhaus disillusion!). Maybe I’ll stray from the traditional strawberry Spaghettieis more often. Then it was time to get the direct train to Berlin and come home. The visit to Wismar was enjoyable but I’m glad we combined it with some time at the sea as well. Visiting this tiny town on the Baltic coast could also be combined with visits to Bad Doberan or Rostock – both still on my list!