Up in the real far north of Germany by the Baltic Sea is a tiny town known as Grimmen.
It’s not a town that lies on any of the numerous popular touristy roads or routes that go through Germany. No, it’s on the lesser known Deutsche Alleenstraße or German Avenues Route.
Oh, I know what you’re thinking — not another tourist route that leads off to points unknown. No, it’s just a quiet little traveled road with tall trees that feel like you’re driving under a lush green canopy.
If you decide to park the car and use the power of your own two feet, you’ll have plenty to see in Grimmen. When you enter the old part of town through the medieval gates you’ll feel you’ve entered an entirely different world. The two Straslunder Tor and Mühlentor gates were both built in 1320; while the Greifswalder Tor came along thirty years later.
Just a note, Grimmen’s local history museum (Heimatmuseum) is housed in the Mill Gate.
The gates are older than the town’s Town Hall (1400) and built in the Gothic style that was the norm of the day. And St. Mary’s Church was also built in the 15th century.
Though not from the Middle Ages, Grimmen has quite a few framework houses; a few of which can be found at Norderhinterstr. 11 and Cathedral Route 7.
Don’t let Grimmen’s Wasserturm (Water Tower) fool you into thinking that’s an oldie — it’s a 20th century creation.
Other more modern sites in town include a bronze statue to Otto von Bismarck, a Soviet Honor Cemetery, and a memorial to Anna Kroger who was the last “witch” to be executed in 1697.
Kids might prefer a visit to Grimmen’s zoo that’s home to some fifty species of animals including everything from emus, to pigeons, to alpacas.
They also might like a day to swim at the local swimming lake. Swimming season is short, so you best get here from around mid-May to mid-September to enjoy the water and laying around the sandy shore.
For real, the whole family will love a day at the beach — save the ride on the German Avenue Road for a less sunny day.