Wismar and Hanseatic City of Lübeck

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Wismar

   Wismar is a red brick town on the Baltic, on a sheltered bay in Mecklenburg, and its story is that of the Hanseatic League, the medieval trading network of North German cities that dominated commerce in the Baltic and the North Sea. The town grew rich on beer, grain and the herring trade, and put its wealth into huge Gothic churches in dark brick, with towers that serve as landmarks at sea. Together with Stralsund it was listed by UNESCO in 2002 for the quality of its Hanseatic architecture, and the market square, one of the largest in northern Germany, is the heart of the place, with gabled houses of many centuries and a curious twelve-sided fountain house, the Wasserkunst, built in the Dutch Renaissance style in the early seventeenth century.

   Read the complete Wismar write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Wismar is where the day begins. Next is Schwerin Residence Ensemble.

2. 2. Schwerin Residence Ensemble

   Schwerin Castle looks too much like a fairy-tale to be real, and in a sense it is not quite old enough: the present building, a mix of Renaissance, Gothic and French chateau styles, was built in the mid-nineteenth century for the Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II, who wanted a palace that looked like something from the Loire. It stands on an island in the Schweriner See, a large lake that stretches away in all directions, linked to the town by a causeway and a bridge, and the whole ensemble is reflected in the water on a calm evening. Today it houses the parliament of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

   Read the complete Schwerin Residence Ensemble write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Schwerin Residence Ensemble comes up about 32 km into the recorded legs. Next is Hanseatic City of Lübeck.

3. 3. Hanseatic City of Lübeck

   Lubeck was once the queen of the Hanseatic League, the medieval trading network that dominated the Baltic and North Sea. From the twelfth century, merchants here shipped salt from Luneburg, fish from Scandinavia, grain and furs from the east, and the wealth they made went into brick: huge churches, tall gabled houses, warehouses and a city gate that still leans slightly under its own weight. The Holstentor, built in 1478, with its two round towers and sagging central block, has been the symbol of the city ever since.

   Read the complete Hanseatic City of Lübeck write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 108 km into the recorded legs you reach Hanseatic City of Lübeck. Next is back through Schwerin Residence Ensemble.

4. 4. back through Schwerin Residence Ensemble

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Schwerin Residence Ensemble write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Schwerin Residence Ensemble, late in the day. Next is Wismar.

5. 5. Wismar

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Wismar write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Wismar. That is the ride.