German Riviera – Day 10
THE GERMAN RIVIERA
Our first port of call on our Baltic Cruise was the German town of Warnemunde on what some people refer to as the “German Riviera”. This Eastern section of German coastline is dotted with beach vacation towns and interesting historical cities that were part of the Hanseatic League. They were also part of East Germany after WWII, so their stories include communist rule as well.
FRIENDS OF DAVE TOUR
The Friends of Dave tour company is focused primarily on the German Riviera. I found them through their website and from reviews on Trip Advisor. As such, this tour is along the Baltic coast of East Germany starting in the medieval town of Wismar and then to the town of Schwerin and finally to Warnemunde. The theme of the tour was about East Germany under Soviet rule and comparing the life of the people before and after the fall of the Berlin wall and communist rule.
I booked this German Riviera tour instead of a tour to Berlin primarily because it would have taken six hours round trip to ride a bus to get to Berlin and back and I wanted more time to see things. Below is the published tour agenda.
GERMAN RIVIERA TOUR AGENDA
- 9:15 – Meet at Karl’s Pier 7 in Warnemünde Cruise Terminal
- 10:45 – First Happy Stop / Depart for Wismar & Tour UNESCO World Heritage Old Town
- 12:30 – Second Happy Stop
- 1:30 – Lunch
- 3:00 – Depart for Schwerin & Tour of Castle Gardens
- 4:30 – Post Brewery very necessary Happy Stop and Warnemünde walking tour
- 6:15 – Depart for ship
- 7:15 – Cry & Say “Til next time”
TOUR LOGISTICS
Our tour guides were Jens and Marta. Both did a great job. It was Marta’s second day on the job as a tour assistant. She sat with Stephen behind us and they talked quite a bit.
A tour bus shuttled us between towns. The buses were comfortable with air-conditioning. Jens told us about the history of the region and what it was like to live in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
While we drove to the first town we had to decide what we wanted for lunch. They handed out cards with the options and then Marta came around and took our order.
WISMAR, GERMANY
Our first stop was in the historic town of Wismar on the German Riviera. We pulled up near the town square and Jens gathered us and gave some history of the town as we stood around a bronze replica of the city.
Then we walked around the square as Jens pointed out some interesting things.
TITTENTASTERSTRASSE
This street sign (blue sight above the door) translated literally says “titty touching street” which is rather humorous, to say the least. In my search on the internet, I only came up with this explanation at the bottom of the page. The street was so narrow back then, that to pass anyone on the street you had to turn sideways, and your chests (tits for both men and women at the time) would touch.
THE OLD SWEDE
The Alter Schwede (The Old Swede) is one of the most interesting and oldest buildings on the square. Built in 1380, this house has a very interesting brick design made of both glazed and unglazed bricks.
THE WASSERKUNST
The Wasserkunst (Water Art) or water fountain is in one corner of the large square. It was imported from Holland in 1602.
NOSFERATU FILMED IN WISMAR
The horror movie Nosferatu (1921) was filmed in and around Wismar. Inspired by Bram Stokers Dracula (1897), the movie was an unauthorized adaptation of the film and Bram Stoker’s heirs sued. The courts ruled to destroy all copies of the movie, but a few copies survived and today it is considered a masterpiece.
SARGMACHERSTRASSE
Another interesting street name is Sargmacherstrasse (coffin making street). Apparently, this is where you went to find the coffin makers.
ST MARY’S CHURCH
We continued our walk and ended up at the remains of St Mary’s Church. During WWII, the church suffered extensive damage. The front of the church is all that remains. The debris from the bombing was not cleared away until the 1960s.
CHURCH CONSTRUCTION
We watched a demonstration on how to make bricks in the back of the church. We also learned how they lifted the bricks during construction. A man demonstrated how they made the bricks from mud using forms for the shape.
During construction, the workers used a treading wheel to transport bricks, mortar, and other materials up to the construction site.
ST GEORGES CHURCH
Following St Mary’s we went to St Georges Church. Construction on the church started in 1404 and the church was intact until three weeks before the end of WWII when blockbuster bombs dropped by the British severely damaged it. It lay in ruins for a year until restoration began. Restoration was completed in 2010.
After visiting the church we strolled through the town stopping occasionally to learn tidbits about the history. We came upon a canal that flowed through the center of town. The waterway on maps is called Muhlenback but is also called Die Grube or the “Pit” and is a man-made canal that was used for transportation to the harbor. We went to a local brewery nearby for lunch.
LUNCH AT THE BREWERY
We ate lunch at the Brauhaus am Lohberg or the Lohberg Brewery. The brewery was established in 1461 and has been brewing beer on and off since then.
It is also a restaurant with the brewery theme with hops hanging from the inside.
We had our choice of different types of schnitzel (classic or mushroom) or fish. I had the classic schnitzel with potatoes and a pilsner beer. We shared a table with a family from Mexico City. When our food and drink came we said “probst” and drank together.
After lunch, we boarded the busses and headed to our next stop on the German Riviera, Schwerin.
TOUR OF SCHWERIN
We arrived in Schwerin and got off the bus in front of the City Hall near the market square. The town dates back to the 11th century and over time became a regional power center. A castle was built in Schwerin that holds the same name, Schwerin Castle. The area is surrounded by lakes and Schwerin Castle is built on an island in one of the lakes.
WALKING TOUR OF SCHWERIN
After arrival, we walked the city, stopping occasionally to view and discuss interesting things. One of the buildings we discussed was the Kunstdrechslerei Zettler, with the large overhang of the second floor. I believe this cantilever design was done originally to avoid taxes since the taxes were based on the measured distance of the business on the street front.
We continued on our walking tour and found our way to the market square, where they had a new car show going on. We all split up to walk the town. Stephen and I got ice cream and then toured the Schwerin Cathedral.
SCHWERIN CATHEDRAL
The Schwerin Cathedral is a Lutheran church but it originally started as a Catholic church. Its construction has taken place over time starting in the 1200s and ending in the late 1800s with the completion of the spire. It is a great example of Gothic brick architecture and it’s overall height of 117 meters (383 feet) make it awe-inspiring to stand next to!
Inside the cathedral is painted white with green and red highlights, which is customary for the region.
There were also beautiful stained glass windows in the Cathedral.
We also found coffins and tombs of the grand-ducal royal family of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
JEWISH HISTORY IN SCHWERIN
As we walked along we stopped in front of a couple of houses with a plaque on the front. We learned about Jewish history in Schwerin. Historically there was a very small Jewish population in Schwerin. This group built a synagogue but by 1938 the Nazis forced the Jews to dismantle their synagogue by hand. After WWII, returning Jews purchased two homes. One they turned into a synagogue and one into a community center.
This plaque says that behind this the location of the original synagogue building in 1773. The synagogue was destroyed on November 9th, 1938. A new synagogue was inaugurated on December 3rd, 2008.
Still further as we walked, our tour guide pointed out these apartments which were typical construction during the communist era.
As we walked down the street our tour guide kept telling us to get ready for the first glimpse of the Schwerin Castle. We made a left turn on the street and there you could see it straight ahead!
SCHWERIN CASTLE GROUNDS
Sometimes Schwerin Castle is called Neuschweinstein of the North, and for good reason. The castle is a beautiful palace in a wonderful setting on an island in a lake. It really does have a fairy tale air to it! The castle is said to be haunted by a ghost they call Petermännchen (“little Peterman”)
The back of the castle has a hidden entrance from the lake. This passageway leads to doors to the castle.
The rear of the castle has gardens, a water features, and a round collonade.
The castle is beautiful from almost any angle but this shot from the main shore is particularly impressive!
LUNCH AT DAMPFWASCHEREI, SCHWERIN
After we toured the castle we walked along the water for a few blocks until we came to Dampfwascherei Restaurant & Cafe, where we stopped for some coffee and dessert!
We all sat outside under large umbrellas and were served platters full of various cakes!
I had the cheesecake but they were all delicious!
TOUR OF WARNEMUNDE
After our dessert stop in Schwerin, we loaded on the bus and made our way to Warnemunde. During the bus ride, our tour guide once again pointed out apartments that were typical during the communist regime.
Warnemunde is a beach resort town and is what the German Riviera is all about. I wouldn’t put it up there with Cancun or Hawaii but it does have nice expanses of sandy beaches and an area to walk among shops along the beach. These Strandkorb or “hooded beach chairs were all over the beach, although I did not see any of them in use. You can rent these for the day, and I am sure on nice days lots of people would be using them.
We walked on the walkway along the beach for a while, checking out the various shops and stands. Eventually, we ended up at a lighthouse.
Supposedly, this lighthouse was used in the promotion of the Martin Scorses film Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, but I have not been able to confirm that.
After our walk along the beach, we loaded up the bus again, headed back to the cruise terminal.
BACK TO THE SHIP
After saying goodbye to the Friends of Dave tour guides we boarded the Norwegian Breakaway and prepared to set sail again!
DRINKS BEFORE DINNER
Before dinner, Stephanie and I decided to have a drink and met Andy, who would become our favorite bartender for the trip! Andy fixed us several drinks, including Bubble Gum Shot, Green Tea Shot, and one called Liquid Marijuana.
DINNER AT THE MANHATTAN ROOM
The Manhattan Room was a nice New York-style venue on the ship. The restaurant was open and had subdued lighting and a dance floor. Their menu selection was somewhat small but the food was good. We had steak and pasta.
Dinner in the Manhattan Room on the Norwegian Breakaway
BACK TO THE ROOM
We headed back to our room after dinner. If you have never been on a cruise ship this might be new to you, but the room attendants normally will leave a different towel animal each night when they do final service. The kids really enjoy discovering new animals each evening! Some ships offer towel folding classes to teach you how to make your own. After a long day on the German Riviera, we were glad to turn-in and were ready to relax tomorrow on a day at sea with no ports.
