Usually I start off telling you about how beautiful, or wonderful, or charming a town is. I’m not going to do that about Wriezen, a town that’s mere footsteps from the Polish border.
Nope, I’m going to tell you that its St. Mary’s Church is partially in ruins; which is actually part of its charm.
Oh, I guess I just told you its charming — so nevermind what I said in the first paragraph. ;-)
Seriously, you really do need to see its Church of St. Mary. While the rest of this late Gothic church remains standing, it’s choir has remained in ruins since it was destroyed in 1945. Either way, it’s the venue for many concerts in the summer — and the acoustics are fantastic.
I’m also gonna go out on a limb, and say that I think you’ll find the Baroque Savings Bank building a stunner too. No wonder banks want your money… they want to build these visually stunning buildings. ;-)
Much of Wriezen’s history and the story behind many of its buildings (like the Old Distillery, huge Brick Kiln, and its Schulzendorf Manor) can be learned by just a simple visit to the City Museum.
Make sure you leave enough time to see its Jewish Cemetery, its Mountain Cemetery (with World War I memorial), the Port (built 1902), and its game reserve.
Looks like you’ll be here for a while…
But, I think another way to learn about a place is during its festivals. Hey, you don’t really know someone until you’ve lived or partied with them. And you’ve got plenty of opportunities to do just that in Wriezen.
Hmm, give me a moment — I don’t want to leave anything out…
OK, I’ve got ’em all now (sorry if they’re out of order).
Wriezen’s got a Flower Market in May, two Harvest Festivals (one in late August, the other in early September), Oktoberfest (late Sept.), a Dragon Festival (October), a Festival of Lights at the end of November, and the year ends with a Christmas Market and holiday concerts in December.
Didn’t I tell ya the acoustics at St. Mary’s were terrific?
