Stralsund is situated on the southern coast of the Strelasund, which is a seaway of the Baltic Sea that separates the Island of Ruegen from the mainland. Stralsund and nearby Greifswald form one of four high-level urban centers in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Wander around the city’s Old Quarter, where you will see redbrick architecture from the Hanseatic era in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Hanseatic League was a commercial and defensive alliance of merchant guilds that dominated trading along the coast of northern Europe.
Downtown, you will see a medieval layout that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries. Stroll along the streets of the Brick Gothic historic center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will find the Gothic Wulflamhaus and Baroque Commandantenhus around the Old Market Square (Alter Markt) as well as small cafés and bars. From there you can see the Town Hall (Rathaus) with St. Nicholas’ Church (Nikolaikirche) behind it.
From Stralsund, you can also explore some of the Baltic Sea’s best islands and coasts, including the Island of Ruegen and the Island of Hiddensee. There are a number of cruise options from the Stralsund Harbor where you can enjoy views of the city from the ocean.
Learn more about the city’s natural surroundings at the Oceanographic Museum, which is the largest museum of natural science in northern Germany. You will see fish tanks and exhibitions and learn about the world’s northern and southern oceans. If you would like to continue your educational visit to Stralsund, spend a couple of hours at the Museum of Cultural History. There you will see artifacts exploring the city’s transformation from a small fishing village to one of the most powerful towns in the Hanseatic League.
Two bridges and a number of ferry services connect Stralsund with the ports of Ruegen. Public buses are available around the city and you can get to Berlin, Rostock, Pasewalk and Bergen by rail.
