3 Best Hotels in Wismar, Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic Coast

This small and personable family-owned hotel lies behind the facade of an old merchant house in the downtown area. Some of the rooms may be tiny, but it only contributes to the warm and cozy atmosphere. The lobby and restaurants are decorated with wooden beams and panels. The main restaurant primarily serves game, but it also prepares regional dishes.

Set at the dreamy Naun Lake, this country hotel is a hidden gem if you are looking for a countryside retreat. The redbrick farmhouse and old thatch-roof barn make up an upscale yet casual hotel. Each room has a unique design (the owners are acclaimed Berlin interior designers), with white walls and terra-cotta tiles. There's a fine restaurant serving German-Italian seafood on a terrace.

This first-class hotel hides behind a rigid gray facade dating back to the early 19th century, but the interior is surprisingly open and airy, with skylights and a posh lobby. The rooms have elegant cherrywood Art Deco–style furnishings. Downstairs, the Bierkeller, a cavernous 17th-century room with vaulted ceilings, is a trendy nightspot.