After loving my time in Stralsund so much, my curiosity for Wismar, the city that Stralsund shares its UNESCO status with, had only grown stronger. So while I was based in Lübeck last summer, I decided to pay nearby Wismar a visit.
It was a hot day, in fact one of the hottest of 2020 in northern Germany with 31 degrees celsius. But I wouldn’t let the heat stop me. I’d planned a full day of city sightseeing and island exploration on the island of Poel, located just a short ferry ride from Wismar’s centre.
After 1,5 hour on the train from Lübeck, I arrived in Wismar and strolled slowly towards the harbour while exploring the cobbled streets of the historical, Hanseatic city. Wismar is a small city, home to just over 40,000 people, and it’s centre is also tiny, but jam-packed with beautiful sights to see.
I strolled along Frische Grube, a quaint street with colourful houses that line the banks of the stream, Mühlenbach. I came across St. Nicholas Church, built between 1381 to 1487 and considered to be one of the finest examples of medieval brick architecture in northern Germany. I followed the beautiful sound of the organ and was surprised to see a young boy playing it. He was so incredibly talented and it was a joy to just stand there and watch him do his thing, while admiring the church walls full of colourful murals. A soft light shone in through the windows, inviting me to linger for a while. A kind guide invited me to climb the tower with his group, but unfortunately, I had to leave so I wouldn’t miss my ferry to Poel.
I continued along Frische Grube towards the harbour. At the end of it sits the most gorgeous cottage in the city, a pink half-timbered cottage known as Gewölbe-Haus, built in the middle of the 17th century.
With the pink cottage behind me, I headed towards the harbour, and came past the Wassertor gate, the only preserved part of the medieval fortifications that once surrounded Wismar’s centre.
Soon after, my ferry arrived and I climbed aboard, face mask on, excited to feel a fresh breeze from the sea. But the ferry sailed painfully slow and didn’t create even the slightest breeze. The sun was unbearable already and it was only 11 AM… I hadn’t realized that I’d booked a sightseeing ferry to Poel… There was even a guide speaking the entire way, but unfortunately only in German!
I kept a look out for birds as we passed the uninhabited island of Walfisch. The island looked so inviting with its tiny house, beautiful beaches and woodlands to explore. As we sailed slowly past it, I imagined myself kayaking on the calm sea over to the island. And then, all of a sudden, I awoke from my daydream. A whale appeared and everyone started shouting, but I wasn’t quick enough with the camera.
After an hour of the slowest sailing I’ve ever experienced, we arrived in Kirchdorf, the largest village on Poel, and home to the majority of the islands’ 2,500 inhabitants. I couldn’t help but compare it to Kloster on the nearby island of Hiddensee where I’d been with my family five days earlier, and Kirchdorf just didn’t have that same cozy feel to it. But I wasn’t there for the village, I wanted to see what kind of nature Poel has to offer.
And in terms of nature, it just wouldn’t be fair to compare it to hilly Hiddensee. In fact, I thought Poel’s countryside looked a lot like Fehmarn’s. Vast sandy beaches line the coast and endless fields make up most of the inland with occasional moorlands and forest patches. And just like Fehmarn, there’s also an extensive network of hiking and biking trails on Poel, making it very easy and comfortable to get around on foot.
Despite the awfully hot weather, I decided to embark on a 9 km hike through some of Poel’s countryside and nature. It was perfect for the 3,5 hours I had available on the island. My chosen route went through Kirchdorf and along the main road to what is apparently Poel’s most popular beach, Strand am Schwarzen Busch.
I soon realized that I’d chosen the wrong route as every other person on the island was walking to the same beach along the same road. And the beach itself? It was nothing like I’d imagined it would be. It was beautiful, but packed with people. I don’t know why I’d naively imagined a long stretch of deserted beach on such a hot day though!
I left the crowds behind and headed west along the coast to a small wetland called Rethmoor. Just past the wetland, I took a path going inland back towards Kirchdorf. For 2,5 km (that felt like way more!), I had not even the slightest bit of shade. To say I was struggling would be an understatement. Luckily I had plenty of water with me, and I was able to find lots of blackberries to snack on throughout the hike.
I walked past the tiny village of Neuhof and past fields of dirt that were beautified by colourful wild flowers along their edges. I really love wild flowers, they are my favourite thing about summer!
Back in Kirchdorf, I headed towards the church tower that rises above the small town. The tower is the oldest part of the gorgeous brick church that was built betewen 1210 and 1350.
Unfortunately, it was closed, so I walked to the nearby fortress ruins of Veste Poel from the early 17th century, where I found a shady spot with a view to the tiny harbour. I still had twenty minutes left before boarding the ferry, so I opted for my favourite activity when on holiday in the summer – watching the world go by from the comfort of a bench.
After yet another slow ferry ride, I arrived back in Wismar at 4.30 PM and decided to catch the train back to Lübeck an hour later so I’d still have some time to explore the city and get home in good time. But that plan was quickly disrupted when I spotted a cute vintage store with the most awesome tie dye shorts I’ve ever seen! I spent ages in the store and ended up buying two pairs of shorts, perfect for the sticky weather!
Afterwards, I headed into the centre of Wismar to see the historical buildings of Altstadt, the heart of the city centre. The area has an abundance of churches, narrow and colourful buildings and a gorgeous cobbled square complete with an old decorated well which supplied drinking water to the city’s citizens until the late 19th century.
I had planned to spend my last 30 minutes in Wismar sitting on a bench in a park, but two hungry-looking street cats quickly changed my plans. I just had to buy food and water for them, I couldn’t bare the thought of them going without water in the intense heat. But funny enough, they ate the cat food but didn’t even touch the water… Oh well!
My day in Wismar and Poel had been hot, beautiful and HOT. I had enjoyed it a lot despite the intense heat, and especially Wismar was a pleasant surprise. I would love to return for the Christmas markets in December one year!
Hiking route description: Around the island of Poel
The hike begins and ends at the harbour in Kirchdorf. Go right on Wismarsche Straße and take the third left and continue along Wismarsche Straße. When you reach a crossroad, take a left onto Strandstraße and continue along the road all the way to the coast.
Then turn left and follow the beach until you reach the wetland, Rethmoor. Head inland and follow the outskirts of the wetland and then turn left where the path meets another path. You’ll soon reach the village of Neuhof. Take the first left onto Krabbenweg and head back to Kirchdorf. Continue along Krabbenweg until you reach the church, and then spend some time exploring the church and the nearby fortress, Veste Poel. Return to the harbour (to the right of the church) afterwards to complete the hike.
The hike is 9 km, takes 3-4 hours and is easy and paved the entire way.
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