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[22] Wismar World Heritage Nature Trail

World Heritage Trail
© TZ Wismar, Christoph Meyer
Information sign at the world heritage trail
© TZ Wismar, Christoph Meyer

Description

In the Hanseatic city of Wismar, the World Heritage Education Trail opened in the fall of 2020 along the World Heritage buffer zone at the "Kuhweide". The tourism center thereby implements an EU project, within the framework of which the expansion of sustainable offers in UNESCO sites is envisaged. The aim is to inform visitors about the city's history. The trail leads from the Wonnemar leisure pool via six brick steles towards the old town.
In order to show something educational to the residents as well as to the visitors of the beautiful Hanseatic city, the city's tourism center designed a World Heritage Education Trail as part of the Interreg project DUNC (Development of UNESCO Natural & Cultural Assets) - as a contribution to the topic of sustainability.
Along the World Heritage buffer zone at the "Kuhweide", on the path that connects the university, the theater, the sports hall, the WONNEMAR leisure center, and three hotels with the old town of Wismar, a total of six stations made of clinker bricks and stainless steel will inform walkers about the World Heritage site and the "Kuhweide" habitat in both German and English.
The WONNEMAR with its facilities attracts a total of 500,000 visitors a year, and many of them want to see the old town of Wismar after their visit to the leisure pool. The World Heritage Education Trail is intended to encourage visitors to leave their car behind and walk into the old town.
A special highlight on the way to the World Heritage of the Hanseatic city of Wismar is the "Magic View". At this point on the trail, there are two columns showing the church tower of St. Marien and the nave of St. Georgen. If the spectator is in the correct position relative to these columns, the two columns magically merge into a single church. The very special thing about it is that the viewer has this sight as well between the real churches from this viewpoint. The viewer thus succumbs to an optical illusion and sees only one church instead of two.
The conceptual work is financed from the DUNC project. Design, construction, and setup of the information steles are financed through donations from local actors, such as the DSK, Fruchtkontor Ballentin, and the WONNEMAR Foundation. These are immortalized at the stations in the clinker bricks. The project is a joint task of the Wismar University, Wismar artists, copywriters, a translator, and employees of the Hanseatic city of Wismar.