Stralsund Old Town

The Old Town of Stralsund is one of the top things to do on Germany's Baltic coast: a medieval Hanseatic port set on an island between the sea and three town ponds, crowned by a spectacular brick Gothic town hall and three giant churches. Listed by UNESCO together with Wismar since 2002, Stralsund is also the gateway to Rügen, Germany's largest island, so it works equally well as a day trip or as a base for a longer Baltic vacation.

A short history

Stralsund received its town charter on October 31, 1234 and became one of the founding members of the Hanseatic League, the trading alliance that dominated northern Europe in the Middle Ages. In the 14th century it ranked second only to Lübeck in the southern Baltic, and the Treaty of Stralsund (1370) with Denmark marked the high point of Hanseatic power.

In 1628, during the Thirty Years' War, the town held out against a siege by the imperial general Wallenstein, an event still celebrated at the annual Wallenstein Days festival. Stralsund then spent nearly 200 years under Swedish rule before becoming Prussian in 1815. Because later centuries brought little industrial growth, the medieval street plan survived almost intact, and after German reunification the old town was carefully restored. UNESCO inscribed the historic centers of Stralsund and Wismar in 2002.

What to see

• Old Market Square and Town Hall: the town hall's openwork show façade, topped with slender turrets, is one of the finest secular Gothic buildings in northern Germany. Walk through the arcades into the inner courtyard.
• St. Nicholas' Church: the oldest parish church, begun in 1276, right next to the town hall, with a richly painted interior.
• St. Mary's Church: its tower rises 104 meters; climb the steep stairs and ladders for views over the old town, the sound and Rügen.
• Harbor island: home to the Ozeaneum, a modern aquarium focused on the North Sea and Baltic, opened in 2008. The 1933 tall ship Gorch Fock I is moored in the harbor as a museum ship.
• German Oceanographic Museum: housed in a former monastery and reopened in summer 2024 after a major overhaul, with new aquariums and step-free access.

Planning your visit

Plan three to four hours for a walking loop from the Old Market to the New Market and the harbor; add the Ozeaneum or a tower climb and you have a full day. The old town is free to explore at any time, while museums, the St. Mary's tower and some churches charge admission in euros.

The official tourist office at Alter Markt 9 opens Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm and weekends 10 am to 3 pm from May to October, with shorter hours from November to April (as of October 2026). Ask there about guided walks. Summer brings harbor cruises and ferries to Hiddensee island; in December the Old Market hosts a Christmas market.

How to get to Stralsund

Stralsund lies about 70 km (45 miles) east of Rostock. Trains from Berlin and Hamburg take roughly three hours, and from Rostock just under an hour; the Deutschlandticket covers regional trains. From the main station it is about a 15-minute walk to the Old Market. Drivers arrive via the A20 autobahn and park in garages around the old town or near the harbor. The nearest large international airports are Berlin and Hamburg.

Is Stralsund worth visiting?

Absolutely. It combines UNESCO-listed brick Gothic architecture, two excellent family-friendly sea museums and easy access to Rügen's beaches and chalk cliffs. Cobblestones make wheelchairs and strollers bumpy, and the tower climb is not suitable for small children.

Nearby

• Rügen: cross the Rügen Bridge to reach beaches, seaside resorts and the chalk cliffs of Jasmund.
• Hiddensee: a car-free island reached by ferry from Stralsund harbor.
• Wismar: Stralsund's World Heritage twin farther west.
• Greifswald: a university and Hanseatic town about half an hour away.