Wismar is a port and hanseatic city in Northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is located about 45 km (28 mi) east of Lubeck, 30 km (19 mi) north of Schwerin, and is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Its natural harbour, located in the Bay of Wismar, is well-protected by a promontory. The population was 42,219 in 2013. It is the capital of the district of Nordwestmecklenburg since the September 2011 district reforms.
A unique representative of the Hanseatic League city type, with its Brick Gothic constructions and many patrician gable houses, Wismar has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2002, together with the historical core of Stralsund.
