Visit to Wismar

Wismar is a historically important Hanseatic city on the Baltic coast. I traveled there over the weekend, probably my last long trip during this visit to Germany. In the 1300s, Wismar was a founding member of the Hanseatic league and that richness is evident in the city's architecture. But it has a different spin than some other Hanse cities in that it was controlled by Sweden for many years. Swedish ownership of Wismar has given it building with different architecture and more color. The Swedes brought rounded gables to the city, a change from the stepped gables dating from the earlier Hanseatic era. The central square is the largest in northern Germany and is very impressive.