The Hanseatic League is legendary. As a confederation of Nordic merchants and trading cities, it rose to become a political superpower. The traditional brick architecture in many towns and cities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern bears witness to their former importance. The idea of the Hanseatic League, of creating and using trading connections in the Baltic Sea region, is still alive today.
Urban life amidst age-old walls
The Hanseatic city of Stralsund with its brick buildings and futuristic Ozeaneum also looks superb from a sailing boat perspective. © TMV/Tiemann
Gothic gabled row houses nestle between the idyllic Convent of the Holy Cross, the Museum of Cultural History, the oldest university in Northern Europe, and the baroque pink town hall with its seven towers on the market square – the varied and colourful cityscape of Rostock looks as timeless as ever.
The UNESCO World Heritage and university city of Stralsund impresses architecturally with its two city gates, its town hall and its three brick giants: the churches of St. Nikolai, St. Marien and St. Jakobi. Meanwhile, modernity in white caters for a surprise in the harbour: the Ozeaneum.
Wismar market square: the pavilion-style waterworks building is surrounded by the gabled late Gothic façades. © istockphoto.com/ae-photos
Medieval flair, a lively student scene and legendary town festivals come together in Wismar. A special highlight: the Swedish Festival. The buildings decorated in blue and yellow are reminiscent of the period of Swedish rule. The old town of Wismar has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002.
The Hanseatic city of Greifswald is one of the oldest university cities in Europe. The baroque main building of the university characterises the cityscape. In addition to the historic town houses and town hall, numerous modern buildings also blend in with the historic façades.
The town of Anklam also has an architectural story to tell: the main protagonists are its fortifications, the historic centre with its market square and fountain, the elegant town houses and the fairy tale brick church.
The small town of Demmin was also a member of the Hanseatic league, although it isn’t situated directly on the Baltic Sea. The tall tower of St Bartholomew’s Church is a local landmark and visible from far and wide.