Village gastronomy rethought: mother of three opens shop in Wismar!

Village gastronomy rethought: mother of three opens shop in Wismar!

A breath of fresh air is blowing in Wismar, a small community in the Uckermark. Virginie Werner and her partner have built a new home for their blended family of five over the last two years. Now an important project is in the starting blocks: On August 2nd, Virginie will open her small shop, which will be housed in the rooms of a newly constructed building. The idea for this shop came to her through her cooking events and the enthusiasm for offering gift ideas at the stalls at village festivals. “There’s something going on,” she says, looking optimistically at what lies ahead.

The shop will be open on Friday evenings and weekends. The sales counter has already been set up, and even though the electrical system is still missing, the interior work is progressing quickly. As Virginie Werner reports, her shop will offer a variety of gifts, cold drinks and specialties from the ice weaving factory in Klockow. She also showed a good hand in marketing; She has built a community through social media that explicitly wants to be able to buy her gift ideas in brick-and-mortar stores soon.

The interest of the villagers

The project has of course also raised questions among village residents and people passing through, who are eagerly waiting to see what will be created in the new building. Virginie plans that wedding anniversary gifts will be particularly popular in the summer, which can only be helpful considering her own wedding plans for 2026. In case the shop isn't profitable, she's already thinking of a plan B: converting the sales counter into a bar counter to host private garden parties.

The project fits well into the efforts to promote the Uckermark as a holiday region. Another important aspect for regional tourism is the revitalization of the railway network. As the Deutschereichsbahn-Lländerbahnstiftung reports, the Uckermark has lost over 70% of its railway network due to privatization. Revitalizing the region through rail tourism is also on the agenda. The former Templin main station is intended to serve as a central hub station, with planned routes connecting Templin and surrounding cities.

The rise of rural tourism

A positive sign for the region is the increase in rail traffic in rural areas. According to that Brandenburg tourism network The number of train journeys of 30 kilometers or more in July 2022 was 42% higher than in 2019. This trend shows that tourists increasingly want to explore the charming landscape of the Uckermark and can also support local shops such as Virginie Werner's new shop. The upcoming opening of the shop could not only be a benefit for the village community, but also for the tourism development of the entire region.

It remains to be seen whether the shop will serve as a meeting place for locals and visitors. One thing is certain, however: With her entrepreneurial spirit, Virginie Werner already has the potential to make a positive contribution to the community.