Heritage & local cuisine

VISBYLÜBECK, STADE, WISMAR

CĒSIS, LIMBAŽI, STRAUPE, VALMIERA

PÄRNU

HANSEATIC GEMS AROUND THE BALTIC SEA

ABOUT

This brochure is the fi nal publication of the project “Cultural Heritage and Local Cuisine in Hanseatic Cities”. It has been produced with funding of Routes4U, joint programme be-tween the Council of Europe and European Union. Its con-tents are the sole responsibility of the project partners and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the Routes4U joint programme.

THE HANSA is a network of almost 200 Hanseatic cities in Europe. It has been a certifi ed Cultural Route of the Council of Europe since 1991.

Find out more!

www.hanse.orgwww.coe.int/routes4u

#Routes4U

..

FARMS & SHOPSBakery “Rožkalni’ and shop “Senā Hanza” (Old Hansa)2 km outside Straupe, in a place named Plācis. The bakery pro-duces the traditional sweetsour and rye bread. The shop offers locally produced cheese, smoked meat, sausages and more.Slow Food Straupe Market, Old Post StationHeld every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month, from 11:00 to 15:00.

HANSEATIC TRIANGLEStraupe - Valmiera - LimbažiDay 1: Start with a walk around Straupe and a visit to Lielstraupe castle. After a coffee break in the local bakery “Senā Hanza”, you explore the unique cave system with an underground stream and two beautiful underground lakes in Vējiņi Subterraneous Lakes (pre-reservation). Continue to Valmiera. Check in and dinner.Day 2: After breakfast, a city tour to explore the history of Valmiera. Audio guide available. Lunch and the afternoon free to enjoy the Gauja National Park with pictur-esque views and unique natural, cultural and historical monuments. Dinner and overnight stay.Day 3: Continue to Limbaži to get to know the third Hanseatic city. Take a city tour, audio guide available. After lunch in Café Kla-va, enjoy the Old City Hall’s wall paintings and the silver exhibition.

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Lielstraupe Castle, the church and the park built and hosted from 13-20th century by the German Family von Rosen

The Straupe Hanseatic Hik-ing Trail: Exploring history in today`s landscape (about 3 km long)

Straupe Old Post Station and Slow Food Straupe Market: The only remaining Old Post Station in Latvia, 18th century

Vējiņi Subterraneous Lakes: A unique cave system with an underground stream and two beautiful underground lakes

Primeval valley of the River Brasla: sandstone outcrops of the ancient valley of River Brasla and Brasla fi sh farm

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

Contacts

Tourist information:

+371 29464946 turisms@pargaujasnovads.lv

www.tourism.straupe.lv

STRAUPEThe smallest Hanseatic town in the world

RESTAURANTSUngurmuiža restaurant13 km outside Straupe, in Gauja National Park. Part of the Ungur-muiža manor complex, a unique wooden baroque building from the 18th century. Menu focused on local produce and century old recipes.

Straupe is an ancient Hanseatic city in Latvia, north of Riga. Thanks to its location at the crossroads of major trading routes, Straupe became a central site already 800 years ago, in the administrative district Rosen. The family von Rosen had their family seat here un-til 1939, with one interruption. Straupe grew very fast and was an important Hanseatic city until the middle of the 17th century. Several wars during the next cen-turies devastated the region, and the castle lost its im-portance. The Swedish-Polish war destroyed Straupe.

Today Straupe is the biggest village in the municipality Pārgauja. The Slow Food Straupe Market offers a va-riety of seasonal, local and fresh products. It is held every fi rst and third Sunday of the month. Straupe Old Post Station Cuisine with local food specialities is open during the market. The district Pārgauja, to a great extent situated within the Gauja National Park, attracts hikers and anglers thanks to the picturesque scenery with many lakes. Here you also fi nd the one and only subterraneous lake in the Baltic region.

FARMS & SHOPSSpecialties The best and broad-est assortment of all kinds of local specialities from Gotland you fi nd in the two big supermarkets ICA Maxi and Coop Forum, just east of the city centre. They both offer special shelves, only with local products. Kränku, S:t Hansplan 4, in the Old Town. The speciality is their 30 different tea blends. You also fi nd local spices, dressings, jam, marmalade and sweets.Stafva Gård A farm, 9 km outside Visby, where several producers of local specialties have come together. The farm itself produces a variety of cheese, grows truffl e and saffron. Other producers are Halfvede Musteri, apple cider, Guteglass, the local ecological ice cream and Gute Rosteri, own roast of coffee.

TRIP PROPOSALDay 1: Individual city tour in the Hanseatic city and a visit to the museum, Gotlands Fornsal, to get an overview of the rich history of the island. Dinner in one of the recommended restaurants.Day 2: Take a tour to the Northern part of Gotland, visit a medieval countryside church, taste local specialities, experience the vast fi elds of sea stacks (raukar) and the great cineaste Ingmar Berg-man’s museum on Fårö. Dinner in Visby.Day 3: Enjoy the day in Visby on your own, walk the narrow lanes, relax in the Botanical Garden, fi nd your favourite souvenir to bring home.

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Park Almedalen – originally the Hanseatic harbour

The Cathedral St Mary – built in 1225, unique organ

The Botanical Garden – an oasis all year round

Stora Torget – dominated by the ruins of the Franciscan convent

Klinten, a hill from where you have a wonderful view

Gotlands Museum – get to know Gotlands rich history

St Hans Café – situated in the ruins of St Per and St Hans churches

Fiskargränd – the most beautiful alley of the Old Town

St Nicolas Ruin – once the Dominican convent

Strandpromenaden – beautiful walk along the sea.

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

Contacts

Tourist Information Centre

Donnersplats 1, 621 57 Visby, Sweden+46 498 201700info@gotland.com

www.gotland.com

VISBYManhattan of Middle Ages

RESTAURANTSVärdshuset LindgårdenClassical restaurant from the 1960s with a wonderful garden. National and local menu, focused on local and seasonal produce. Bakfi ckan: Small fi sh restaurant. Seasonal fi sh and seafood on the menu. Everyday fried herring with differently spiced butter.G:a MastersIn the Old Town, open almost all days of the year. National and classic menu. Informal atmos-phere. Tuppens krogSituated in an 18th century building in the Old Town. Local produce for the seasonal menu, vegetables often home-grown. Mat&MaltSituated just outside the Old Town. The restaurant and Barling-bo Brewery co-located. Interna-tional menu with an Austrian fl air.

In 1161 Gotland signed the Artlenburg Treaty with the German Duke Henry the Lion. The Hansa was born. German merchants used Gotland as important trad-ing point within the Baltic Sea region. Visby became the fi rst commercial centre of the Hansa. Magnifi cent churches, convents and impressive warehouses gave the city its character. The architect Corbusier has in modern times called Visby the medieval Manhattan – nowhere else so many imposing buildings were to be seen. Some of them are still impressive landmarks,

especially the Cathedral St Mary. Visby remained a Hanseatic centre for 200 years. In 1361 the island was conquered by the Danish king Valdemar and slowly fell into a slumber of ages. Since 1645 Gotland belongs to Sweden. Today Visby is a fl ourishing town where the Hanseatic heritage is still present. The Old Town of Visby, listed as UNESCO World Heritage, is the venue of several festivals all through the year: Medieval Week and Crime Festival in August, Gotland Gastronomy in early October and Truffl e Festival in November.

FARMS & SHOPSBakery “Cēsu maize”A small bakery in the centre of the old town. Bread baked from Latvian organic spelt wheat, buck-wheat, oat and barley whole grain fl our. Sourdough bread. Grain ground in a stone mill. Bread tasting offered.Cēsis Farmers Market In the center of town, farmers and local producers from the area come to the market. It is particularly exciting in the morning when products are bought not only by the citizens, but also by the owners of local restaurants and cafés.Brewery TrimpusThe traditions of beer brewing in Cēsis have been known for a long time. Brewery Trimpus is located in the very heart of Cēsis, next to Cēsis castle complex. The owners offer tastings and tours.

TRIP PROPOSALDay 1: Check in and take an afternoon walk through the old town to explore the historic and cultural sights. Dinner in one of the restaurants.Day 2: Visit Cēsis Castle Com-plex and learn about Hanseatic times. After lunch, explore the beautiful nature of Cīrulīši Nature trails and Gaujaslīči section (preferably by hiking or biking). Dinner in one of the recommended restaurants.Day 3: Enjoy the city’s many small shops and boutiques with different offers or take a boat trip on the river Gauja – a relaxed day just to enjoy the town and its surroundings.

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Cēsis is a city of historic and modern signifi cance. It was founded in 1206 and it is the third oldest city in Latvia. In the 14th century Cēsis became a member of the Hanseatic League. Thanks to the city’s favourable location on the trading route to Russia, Cesis rapidly developed into an important trading post for all kinds of merchandise. A mint was built towards the end of the 15th century and Cesis got its own currency: the Cesis Schilling. This brought an even higher signifi cance to Cēsis and the city became one of the most important

Hanseatic junctions in the whole Baltic region. Today Cēsis belongs to the most important Latvian centres for art and culture. Sights of interest are the medieval castle, the Old Town with its completely preserved street net, the oldest brewery in northern Europe and the wooden villas built on the banks of the River Gau-ja. Furthermore, Cēsis is the birthplace of the Latvian fl ag as it was approved in the Rhymed Chronicle from the 13th century.

Latvian Folk Song Night (mid-May) at the Cēsis His-tory and Art Museum: Listen to folk songs from traditional sounds to contemporary interpretations

Cēsis Castle Complex fascinates visitors with more than 10 centuries of Latvian cultural history

Hansa Market & city festival (July): Cēsis Castle turns into gates of history to ex-plore life in the Middle Ages

Cēsis Restaurant week (twice a year): Chefs high-light the tastes of the Hansa, using local ingredients in modern meals

Medieval Craft Days (July): Discover the ancient craft world in all its diversity and splendor

Thematic tour “Cēsis – Hanseatic Town”: explore medieval market places, warehouses and town gates

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

Contacts

Cēsis Tourist Information Center

Baznīcas laukums 1Cēsis, Latvia+371 28318318info@cesis.lv

www.turisms.cesis.lv

CĒSISWhere past meets future

RESTAURANTSRestaurant “Villa Santa”By the Gauja river, a few kilot-meters outside Cēsis. Interior with paintings by a leading artist. Mediterranean cuisine with a touch of traditional Latvian food.H.E. Vanadziņš. Ziemeļu restorānsLocated in an old wooden house in the city centre. Nordic style regarding furnishing and cuisine. The menu offers elk, reindeer and herring. A broad variety of beer.Restaurant “Jāņoga”In a residential area with a real local touch. Varied menu with international and Latvian dishes.“Hotel Cēsis” RestaurantCentral location close to the Maija Park. Operating since 1939. Menu based on classic European cui-sine with Latvian interpretations and seasonal accents.

FARMS & SHOPSMarzipan can be bought at Café Niederegger, Breite Straße 89.“Rotspon”, the famous red wine, can be bought at the traditional wine house “H.F. von Melle” , located in a typical gabled house in the Old Town (Beckergrube 86).Marzilade is a newly-created Lübecker delicacy: a well-bal-anced mixture of jam and mar-zipan. You can fi nd it in various shops in the Old Town and in the tourist information next to the Holsten Gate.Hof Thorn about 15 km outside of the city center makes a nice detour en route to the beach. Buy local ham and sausages in the farm shop, which is located in a beautiful half-timbered barn. In July and August you can pick your own blueberries.

TRIP PROPOSALDay 1: Explore the Hanseatic city of Lübeck on an individual tour including culinary tastings and backstage insights. Dinner in the restaurant “Schiffergesellschaft” with an amazing interieur.Day 2: Discover Lübeck on a boat trip around the Old Town in your own electric boat. After that, enjoy the exhibition of the marzipan museum and a piece of cake at Café Niederegger. In the evening we recommend dinner at “The Newport” overlooking the harbour.Day 3: European history is brought to life in the Europe-an Hansemuseum. Immerse yourself into the fascinating world of the medieval merchants and experience the rise and fall of the Hansa. After the visit, take a cof-fee or snack at the Café Fräulein Brömse in the historic monastery.

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Strolling through the winding streets of Lübeck’s his-toric island-shaped UNESCO Old Town is like taking a journey back to the times when the city belonged to powerful merchant families and the Hanseatic League set the pace. Lübeck’s Old Town is fi lled with culture and life: The seven spires of the fi ve Old Town church-es create the unique skyline that rise up behind the shore of the river Trave. Water played a major role in the history of Lübeck and even nowadays locals and guests equally enjoy the water that surrounds the Old Town and the sandy beach at the seaside resort of

Travemünde. The impressive Holsten Gate, symbol and entrance portal of the queen of the Hanseatic League, welcomes visitors on their way to the Old Town Island where all the interesting sites are within walking distance such as a number of interesting mu-seums, impressive brick churches and of course the diversity of alleys and courtyards that have become peaceful oases away from the central paths. Shopping possibilities and restaurants for every taste are close by and events make Lübeck a year-round destination.

St. Mary’s Church is Ger-many’s third largest brick church and a model for numerous Gothic brickwork churches in the Baltic area

The best view over the city can be enjoyed from the viewing platform of St. Peter’s Church

The Hanseatic League is brought to life in the Europe-an Hansemuseum

The world’s oldest secular hospital, the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, can be found in Lübeck

The Town Hall of Lübeck is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful town halls in Germany

Traditional, maritime or homemade? The Christmas Capital of Northern Germany offers Christmas Markets for every taste

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

Contacts

Lübeck Tourist Information

Holstentorplatz 1Lübeck, Germany+49 451 8899700info@luebeck-tourismus.de

www.luebeck-tourism.de

LÜBECKThe queen of the Hansa

RESTAURANTSRestaurant Schiffergesellschaft (Seafarer’s Guild): traditional and modern food (great fi sh dishes) served in unique surroundings, created by many memorabilia.Café Niederegger: discover marzipan, the tasty delicacy! At the Marzipan museum – free of charge – visitors can discover the history of the famous delicacy; an absolute must is a piece of Marzi-pan cake. Also lunch menus.Restaurant Fangfrisch: high quality fi sh, freshly caught in the region is served here right on the swing bridge.Restaurant The Newport: Next to delicious food and a unique view of the Old Town the restau-rant offers a marina for guestboats with up to 50 berths.

THE HANSA: A UNIQUE EUROPEAN HERITAGE

In the mid-thirteenth century, German seafaring merchants joined together to lay the basis of what became the Hanse-atic League as a way to pursue their shared economic inter-ests. Along the coasts of Northern Europe, mainly around the Baltic Sea, up to 225 cities joined the League, which had an important infl uence on the economy, politics and trade until the 17th century.

In 1980, the Hanseatic cities founded the International Union of Cities THE HANSA to revive their common heritage. To-day, the network consists of almost 200 cities in 16 countries, a signifi cant number of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 1991, THA HANSA became a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.

Once a year, the International Hanseatic Day brings together visitors from all over Europe to celebrate understanding, re-spect and cooperation. Through hundreds of different activi-ties, markets and exhibitions the traveller can experience the unique Hanseatic spirit!

WHERE TO STAYLÜBECK Klassik Altstadt Hotel www.klassik-altstadt-hotel.deFisher’s Loft www.fi shersloft-hotel.de

CESIS Villa Santa www.villasanta.lv Hotel Cesis www.hotelcesis.lv VISBY Strand Hotel www.strandhotel.seVilla Borgen hotelvillaborgen.com

VALMIERA Hotel Wolmar hotelwolmar.lvHotel Naktsmājas naktsmajas.lv

STADE Hotel Stadthafen Stade hotel-stadthafen-stade.deHotel Herzog Widukind h-hotels.com

PÄRNU Rannahotell www.rannahotell.eeEstonia Resort Hotel & Spa www.spaestonia.ee/resort

WISMAR Hotel New Orleans www.hotel-neworleans-wismar.comStadt Hamburg Wismar www.viennahouse.com

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FARMS & SHOPSFarm MarketAt Pärnu Keskus shopping centre, the cozy store sells food products grown in Estonia and produced from local raw materials.Jaanihanso Cider HouseKaelasa village, 40 km from Pär-nu, makes cider that is not boiled, fi ltered or carbonated. It matures in bottles as champagne does. Visitors can try fi ve different ciders and take part in a tour.Herb garden on Tamme FarmMadala village, about 16,5 km from Pärnu. The shop sells a variety of products made from herbs, chilli peppers, berries, and vegetables.Piesta Kuusikaru FarmKullimaa village, 45 km from Pär-nu. Apple orchards combined with rich cultural heritage. Products include juice, syrup and vinegar.

TRIP PROPOSALDay 1: Check-in at a spa hotel and time to get to know the city.Dinner and a guided evening walk around the Old Town.Day 2: Breakfast and time for a morning spa. Drive to Soomaa National Park and hiking in the bog. Lunch and cider testing at a Cider farm. Free time. Rec-ommended: a visit to the farm market. Dinner in a restaurant.Day 3: Breakfast in the hotelTime for a biking or hiking tour along the beach hiking trail or at the mole boardwalk as well as a visit to Pärnu museum.

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Pärnu is an attractive resort town with a rich history. The town’s great location in close vicinity of the sea and the river, south facing shallow beach, hospitality of the local people and enjoyable environment have all contributed to the development and reputation of Pärnu and shaped it into the Hanseatic, port and re-sort town that is also known as the summer capital.People have lived at the Pärnu river mouth for 11,000 years. The history of Pärnu began in 1251 when the

town was fi rst mentioned. In the 14th and 15th century Pärnu was an important Hanseatic town, during the 17th century it was ruled by Sweden and in the 19th century Pärnu began developing into a resort town. In 1996 Pärnu became Estonia’s summer capital. Pär-nu was selected the best wellness and health tourism destination in Estonia in the 2019 European Destina-tions of Excellence (EDEN) competition launched by the European Commission.

Tallinn Gate, the only surviving 17th century gate with an embankment in the Baltic countries

Pärnu Mud Baths, the sym-bol of Pärnu resort

Pärnu Town Hall

Mary Magdalene Guild, a guild that unites the artisans of Pärnu

Red Tower, the only surviving defensive tower of the Hanseatic town of New-Pärnu

Villa Ammende, one of the best early examples of art nouveau in Estonia

St. Elizabeth’s Church, one of the most prominent sacred buildings from the Baroque period in Estonia

Rannahotell, one of the masterpieces of Estonian functionalism and a symbol of Pärnu resort

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

Contacts

Pärnu Visitor CentreUus 4, 80010 PärnuEstonia

+372 447 3000info@visitparnu.com

www.visitparnu.com

PÄRNUHanseatic Paradise for Spa holidays

RESTAURANTSRannahotel RestaurantSeaside restaurant. Fine dining, international and national cuisine. Villa WessetSeasonal adopted menues with, mainly organic and local produce. Summer terrace.Café & Restaurant Hea MaaSituated in former offi ce of the Mayor. Menu based on local and seasonal produce. Summer garden.Mahedik caféSituated in the city centre. Chan-ging menu based on seasonal and local produce.Restaurant RaimondCuisine inspired by Nordic fl avours, prepared from local produce, grown in the surrounding area.

FARMS & SHOPSBakery “Liepkalni”Mazā Stacijas Street 1, produces and sells various kinds of bread and pastry. Assortment consists of more than 50 bread products.Honey shop “Medus veikals” Karla Baumana Street 9, offers everything you can think of made from local honey.Local farm AdzelviesiLocated in Burtnieki Munici-pality, 3o km outside Valmiera. During the visit you will follow the cultivation of hemp. After the visit the owners offer degustation of different hemp products.Biological farm DulbeniLocated in Butnieki Municipality, 17 km from Valmiera .Cultivation of shiitake mushrooms.Tour to see how the mushrooms are grown in the forest. Degustations and sale of fresh shiitake mushrooms and honey.

HANSEATIC TRIANGLEStraupe - Valmiera - LimbažiDay 1: Start with a walk around Straupe and a visit to Lielstraupe castle. After a coffee break in the bakery “Senā Hanza”, you explore the unique cave system with an underground stream and two beautiful lakes in Vējiņi Subterraneous Lakes. Continue to Valmiera. Check in and dinner.Day 2: After breakfast, a city tour to explore the history of Valmiera. Audio guide available. Lunch and the afternoon free to enjoy the Gauja National Park with pictur-esque views and unique natural, cultural and historical monuments. Dinner and overnight stay.Day 3: Continue to Limbaži to get to know the third Hanseatic city. Take a city tour, audio guide available. After lunch in Café Kla-va, enjoy the Old City Hall’s wall paintings and the silver exhibition.

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Valmiera is the largest city in the Northern part of Lat-via and close to the Gauja National Park. Cultural-his-torical heritage and the preserved nature has always made Valmiera an attractive destination at the shores of the River Gauja. Valmiera is regional centre for cul-ture, education, industry and sports and the only city in the region with a professional theatre, the Valmiera Drama Theatre, opened in 1919. One of the landmarks of Valmiera is St Simon’s Church, situated in the oldest part of the city, built in 1283. The original Ladegast pipe organ from 1886 is still there. Valmiera was fi rst

mentioned in 1283. It was famous for its wax, which was the best in the northern lands, fresh honey, great fur masters, hemp rope weavers and hardworking grain thrashers. Hence why Valmiera was included in the Hanseatic League, becoming one of Livonia’s most important political and economic centres. Nowa-days there is an annual fair every October, gathering hundreds of craftsmen. The Valmiera Museum shows ancient blacksmith work tools and a Hanseatic League merchant boat and the life of knights.

Valmiera Museum buildings (18th century)

St. Simon’s Church & tower (13th century)

Ruins of the Livonian Order Castle (13th century)

Bachelor’s Park and the historical pavilion building

Gauja River steep banks – 80 metres wide and 10-15 metres high

Millpond at the medieval fortifi cation Blue Bastion

Sightseeing terrace by the River Gauja – international awards for its design

The Iron Bridge – industrial heritage, part of the “Green Railways” route

Ģīme Nature Trail

Valmiera Drama Theatre – one of the few professional theatres in Latvia

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

Contacts

Valmiera Tourist Information Centre

Rīgas iela 10Valmiera, Latvia+371 26332213tic@valmiera.lv

www.visit.valmiera.lv

VALMIERACreativity through centuries

RESTAURANTSRestaurant VecpuisisThe Bachelor’s park and pavilion with the restaurant date back to 1914. Contemporary touch of food with steaks as a speciality.Restaurant Rates VartiInterior design in art deco. Sum-mer terrace in an old Hanseatic style. Menu with focus on locally grown produce. Restaurant AgneseAt Hotel Wolmar. Travel memories create the atmosphere. The menu offers culinary trends from local products as an international cui-sine. The parrot Charlie welcomes you in different languages. Restaurant Valmiermuiza alus virtuveConnected to the brewery. The menu is based on seasonal products from local farmers, hunters and fi shermen. Each dish is paired with a selected beer.

VISBY

WISMAR

STADE

LÜBECK

PÄRNU

VALMIERA

CĒSIS

STRAUPE

LIMBAŽI

9 cities

4 countries

1 experience

PARTNERS

FARMS & SHOPSWismar Fisch-FeinkostOffering a wide range of local fi sh specialties.Mecklenburger FleischwarenAll kinds of local meat products.Hinricus Noyte’sHinricius Noyte was the fi rst known brewer in Wismar. Now the company produces different kinds of spirits, using old recipes.SaBö-HofNeuburg, 18 km from Wismar, Open fi elds and meadows with sheep, goats, pigs, horses, geese, ducks and hen. Rape, wheat, barley and asparagus are grown on the farm. Café and shop.Biohof TackeDorf Mecklenburg, 9 km from Wismar. Ecological farming. In the same family since 1676. Cows pasture outdoors from March to November. Shop with rich offer of organic products.

TRIP PROPOSALDay 1: Check-in. In the afternoon, the guided tour “Anna and the Beer” (2 hours), starting from the Tourist Information.Dinner in the historic Restaurant “Steaks & More Zum Weinberg”.Day 2: Breakfast. Culinary city tour in the Old Town following the concept “Butter bei die Fische”, visit to the important sights com-bined with tasting of local spe-cialties, 3 hours. In the evening, make your choice: testing of Sekt, the most northern sparkling wine cellar in Germany, or testing of spirits at “Hinricus Noyte’s”. Day 3: After breakfast, a visit to the Church of St. George and its observation platform. Fish sand-wich on the cutter “Minna“.

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In 1259, a triple alliance was formed between Lübeck, Rostock and Wismar, to ensure safe transports and trading at sea and land, protection from pirates. Im-portant trading goods were wine from Spain, Italy and France; fells and wood from Russia, furs from Norway, fabrics, silk and cotton, but in particular fi sh, spices, wax, malt and salt. Wismar became a wealthy Han-seatic town, with mighty churches in red-brick gothic style, the town walls, medieval residences, the ‘Was-serkunst’ on the market square. The oldest building

today houses the restaurant “Alter Schwede”. In the 16th century Wismar came under a new dominance: Sweden. The relation to Sweden remained until 1903. Every year, Mid-August, a Sweden festival is celebrat-ed. Wismar was heavily damaged during WWII. Many historic buildings in the Old Town have lately been re-stored into original shapes. Herring still plays an im-portant role as local speciality. The Herring Festival in March is thus enjoyable!

Alter Schwede, one of the oldest town houses, built around 1380

The Baumhaus, a baroque building from the middle of the 18th century

Fürstenhof, seat of the Dukes of Mecklenburg, 16th century

The Grube, one of the oldest artifi cial waterways through a city in Germany

Town hall and market square, one of the largest in Northern Germany

Museum Schabbell, shows Hanseatic culture and history

Church of St. George, mag-nifi cent example of the red brick Gothic style

Church of St. Nicholas, church of seamen and travel-lers, high central nave

Zeughaus, baroque mani-festation on Swedish military architecture in Germany

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

Contacts

Tourist Information Wismar

Lübsche Straße 23a23966 Wismar

+49 3841 19433touristinfo@wismar.de

www.wismar-tourist.de

WISMARAspiring Hanseatic and World Heritage Town

RESTAURANTSRestaurant Alter SchwedeIn a building from 1380. The name refers to the Swedish period from 1648 – 1803. Local specialities.“Steaks&More” Zum WeinbergSituated in a medieval building, rebuilt in renaissance style. Wine business since 1648. Focus on steaks and Mediterranean food.Brauhaus am LohbergOpened as a brewery already in 1452. Today the only local brew-ery in Wismar. Local cuisine with country-style meats as speciality.Restaurant To’n OssenSituated in a medieval ware-house. The menu offers both regional specialities as well as dishes with infl uences from the Mediterranean kitchen. Restaurant & Hotel WismarCosy, maritime atmosphere. Strong focus on fi sh specialities, including different herring dishes.

FARMS & SHOPSShelves marked with “Ražots Limbažu novadā”- “Made in Limbaži”You fi nd them in the supermarket Top, Rigas iela 23a and in the Tourism Information Centre. A variety of different products. Best buy: the hard cheese Grande Duro and Sole Grosso.Limbažu novada lauku labu-mi,“Agricultural products of the Limbaži region”Cooperative with 45 members. Jams, jellies, syrups, juices, mar-malades, goat’s cheese, cottage cheese, pies, cakes, sweets, canned fruits, honey and more. Limbaži marketplaceMarket stalls where food and oth-er products from local households and agricultural enterprises are sold.

HANSEATIC TRIANGLEStraupe - Valmiera - LimbažiDay 1: Start with a walk around Straupe and a visit to Lielstraupe castle. After a coffee break in the bakery “Senā Hanza”, you explore the unique cave system with an underground stream and two beautiful lakes in Vējiņi Subter-raneous Lakes (pre-reservation). Continue to Valmiera. Check in and dinner.Day 2: After breakfast, a city tour to explore the history of Valmiera. Audio guide available. Lunch and the afternoon free to enjoy the Gauja National Park with pictur-esque views and unique natural, cultural and historical monuments. Dinner and overnight stay.Day 3: Continue to Limbaži to get to know the third Hanseatic city. Take a city tour, audio guide available. After lunch in Café Kla-va, enjoy the Old City Hall’s wall paintings and the silver exhibition.

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Historic town centre of Limbaži

Limbaži medieval castle ru-ins, observation tower (13th century)

Limbaži Museum – the historic museum.

“Silver Limbaži” – exposition and workshop

Old Town Hall – wall paintings from the 18th century

Old fi re station depot

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church

Church of the Transfi guration of Christ

Limbaži St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church

Limbaži Lielezers lake and nature trail

“9 Arodi”, craftsmen house

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

Contacts

Limbaži Tourist Information

Torņa iela 3, Limbaži, Latvia

+371 28359057

tic@limbazi.lv

www.visitlimbazi.lv

LIMBAŽITown of silver

RESTAURANTSCafé KlavaLocal restaurant in the central part of Limbazi. Varied menu with international and national dishes.

Because of its size, the city can be easily enjoyed by foot. Enjoy the medieval castle ruins and its renewed gate watchtower, and imagine yourself in that time, as the city and road plan has been preserved since the 14th century. See the 17th century church, and 18th century wooden buildings and wall art in the old city hall. Visit the fi refi ghter museum and then drop by the Silver museum. There you’ll be given workshops and demonstrations by the silversmiths, and maybe even have a taste of silver water. Nowadays, we are proud

that Limbaži still has its own active craftsmen: bakers, cheesemakers, shoemakers, weavers, smiths. Get close to nature by visiting the Lielezers lake. Rent a boat and explore the lake, or stroll around it on the boardwalk. It is possible to circle the entire city of Lim-baži by bicycle up to the Lielezers bakery, most of the route consists of a shared cycle and pedestrian track. The so-called greenway provides an opportunity to ride along a former railway route for up to 750 km.

CREDITS Lübeck Olaf Malzahn, LTM (2x); Niederegger Stade STADE Marketing und Tourismus GmbH; STADE Marketing und Tourismus GmbH, Fotograf Martin Elsen

Pärnu Ragne Värk; Priidu Saart

Straupe Via Hanseatica; Edgars Melkis; Rudite Vasile

Wismar TZ Wismar, Christoph Meyer, paperheroes; TZ Wismar, A. Rudolph

FARMS & SHOPSFachmarkt StadeGroße Schmiedestraße 36, offers regional products and gifts (broad assortment of culinary specialties and handicraft).Fruit farm MatthiesIn Jork, 21 km from Stade, differ-ent tours through the apple and cherry orchards. Farm shop.Fruit farm LühsIn Jork, 21 km from Stade. Biody-namic cultivation. Tours through the apple, cherry and pear or-chards. Broad variety of products from the farm. Shop and café. Fruit farm RamdohrIn Hollern-Twielenfl eth, 4 km outside Stade. In the same family for 9 generations. Orchards with apple, cherry, plum, pear. Variety of products. Farm shop.

TRIP PROPOSALDay 1: Check-in. In the evening, dinner and a guided tour by night.Day 2: Cycling tour through the surrounding Altes Land (Old Land) including a visit on a fruit farm. Ferry trip on the Elbe to Wedel: you will experience “Willkomm Höft”, where ships over 1000 tons are greeted with their national anthem. Cake and coffee.Day 3: One-hour boat trip on Burggraben. Time to experience the Hanseatic city on your own and the interesting Hansa exhi-bition in the Swedish Warehouse museum.

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The maritime trading town on the river Schwinge is part of the metropolitan area of Hamburg. In 1209, Stade was given town rights, in 1259 a staple privilege. Sta-de reached its zenith as a prosperous medieval town when it became a member of the Hanseatic League. Under Swedish rule (1645-1712) Stade maintained a garrison and built an important fortress within the Eu-ropean context. Where ships were unloaded, today you can fi nd shops, cosy pubs and cafés with inviting summer terraces on the water. The Hanseatic heritage is present in the fl ourishing half-timbered town until to-

day. The Museum in the restored Swedish warehouse gives a vivid picture of the town’s development with a Hanseatic exhibition. You can feel the maritime charm everywhere: the Hanseatic harbour (13th century), the town harbour with the museum ship and the leisure crafts show that Stade continues to maintain its tradi-tional ties to shipping. Maritime offers invite you to dis-cover the town from the water and guided tours take visitors through the history of the city. Several festivals and events during the year are worth visiting.

Town harbour: a modern harbour with museum ship Greundiek and leisure crafts

Fish market with Hanseatic harbour built in the 13th cen-tury, in the heart of the city

Swedish Warehouse and Arts Museum (both with high quality exhibitions)

Museum Island with open-air museum

Historic Town Hall, partly dating from 1279)

Church St. Cosmae and Damiani, with a great view over the city

Bürgermeister-Hintze House, a fi ne example of the Weser-renaissance

Customs House with a reconstructed tomb of arch-bishop von Arnsberg

St. Johannis monastery

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

Contacts

Stade Tourist Information CentreHansestrasse 16, 216 82 Stade

+49 4141 776980info@stade-tourismus.de

www.stade-tourismus.de

STADEFresh Wind in the North

RESTAURANTSAltstadtcafé StadeIn the Old Town, in the historic merchant’s house Hökerhus. Open for breakfast and lunch with fi sh specialities and a homemade cakes and gateau buffet.Restaurant KnechthausenIn the Old Town, close to Fisch-markt. The house dates back to 1604 when it served as meeting place for the brewery workers. Menu with German specialities.InselrestaurantClose to the open-air museum “Auf der Insel, in a re-construct-ed house from the 17th century. Classic German menu. GoebencaféIn the old town, close to Fisch-markt. Café in beautiful half-tim-bered house. Breakfast with ample choice, lunch specials and delicious cake.

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