Attractions in Stralsund

Many vacationers only pass through Stralsund to drive over the Rügen Bridge to Germany's largest island, Rügen. Additionally, ferries to Hiddensee also depart from here.

We did it differently and stayed overnight in Stralsund before heading to Rügen. We do not regret it, as the Hanseatic city on the Baltic coast is beautiful.

Especially the restored old town with its lovely brick Gothic houses and old gabled houses is worth a visit. You don't need a plan here; you can just start walking around. The old town of Stralsund has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. That's why we explored it and in this article, we share what you can do in Stralsund in a day.

Most of the sights in Stralsund are located in the compact old town, which you can easily explore on foot. A day trip is sufficient for now. If you want to get to know more about Stralsund or its beautiful surroundings, I recommend planning a whole weekend or much longer for the Baltic Sea.

Stralsund is not particularly large. You can explore the city on foot. For the main attractions, you should plan a full day. If you prefer a stress-free experience, then you should plan for two days.

The most famous landmarks in Stralsund as well as the historically significant places in the city. In my opinion, you definitely have to visit these sights on your first trip to Stralsund. For this, we undertook a walk through the old town. Join a city tour and learn everything you need to know about the history of the city.

The churches of Stralsund shape the silhouette of the city. St. Mary's Church particularly stands out from a distance. The 104-meter tall church was reportedly the tallest building in the world until 1647 (then 151 meters high), until a lightning strike destroyed the tower.

You can climb the 90-meter high observation platform. From up high, you get a great view of the city, the Strelasund, and all the way to Rügen. Unfortunately, we were too late, and the church tower was already closed.

Right next to the impressive warehouses is the Natural History Museum Ozeaneum, which belongs to the German Maritime Museum Foundation. Naturally, the focus is on the sea. The futuristic design at the Stralsund port island stands out immediately.

Note: Usually, I avoid zoos and aquariums. However, I had only read good things about the Ozeaneum. In the upper area, there is a fantastic exhibition of life-size sea giants in collaboration with Greenpeace. There are great spoken presentations about these marine giants at regular intervals. The room is 20 meters high, and the marine mammals hang down from above in their original size!

The museum is really well done. The exhibition covers the seas: the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the open Atlantic. There are many aquariums with fish, corals, and crustaceans. Especially for those who have not had the privilege of seeing these animals in their natural habitat, the Ozeaneum is really worth a visit.

The huge aquarium with Atlantic creatures holds 2.6 million liters of water and is by far the largest tank. It is 9 meters deep and can be viewed from two levels.

Only the small habitat for Humboldt penguins made me uncomfortable. Regular readers of the blog know how much I love penguins. Therefore, I was quite shocked by the small habitat on the roof of the Ozeaneum. I would prefer to see them in real life in Chile or South Africa.

The Alter Markt of the Hanseatic city of Stralsund is the center of the historic old town. The UNESCO World Heritage Site showcases the most beautiful buildings in Stralsund. The current marketplace has several cafes and restaurants where you should take a break.

Take a look at the facade of the Town Hall Stralsund. Walk through the courtyard and admire the portal of St. Nicholas Church, the oldest church in the Hanseatic city (entrance via the Nikolaikirch portal).

I particularly liked the Wulflamhaus, located opposite the Town Hall. The gabled house from the 14th century is assigned to Northern German brick Gothic, which I find very appealing. Inside Stralsund's Wulflamhaus, there is a tavern (Wulflam Stuben) which is said to be quite good. We were unable to try it as we weren't hungry.

As a tourist, you can't miss Gorch Fock I. The famous sailing training ship of the German Navy, Gorch Fock I, is docked at the Stralsund city harbor. The once-prestigious ship is now a museum you can visit.

Note: I am not particularly interested in ships. Also, I had been on several submarines and ships (for example, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii) before the Baltic Sea vacation. Somehow, the ships seem too similar to me.

If you are wondering why the ship is white: This is the original Gorch Fock. The replica from 1958 currently sails under the same name (Gorch Fock II) for the German Navy and is currently in Kiel.

The German Maritime Museum is connected to the Ozeaneum opened on the Stralsund harbor island, the Nautineum on Dänholm, and the Natureum on the Darß. For the Stralsund Maritime Museum, there are combination tickets available with the Ozeaneum (see above). These can be purchased at the ticket counters of both museums and online.

I'm never sure about aquariums, whether they serve the protection of animals or not. See more information about the German Maritime Museum on the official website.

If you've had enough of the old town and the breeze on the Baltic coast, then go through the Kniepertor to Knieperteich. The pond is more like a lake where you can take a small tour with pedal boats or rowboats.

The Knieperteich was once part of the fortifications around the city. Today, it is a local recreation area and is ideal for escaping the tourist hustle and bustle.

Especially nice are the white bridges on Küterdamm. The path connects the old town with Tribseer suburb. Locals simply call this place the 'white bridges.'

The old historic gabled house was restored by owner Josef Wycisk and made accessible to the public. Inside, you feel like you're in an antique market. There are objects made of antique bricks with imprints everywhere, real bones (!?), and drawings to be found. Curious describes it quite well.

The complex includes the Heilgeist hospital and the Heilgeist church. The church, I read, is one of the oldest buildings on the site. The half-timbered houses behind the church used to house the sick. Walk into the alley and look at the columned corridor. Today, there are apartments here.

I could not find out the origin of the name 'Monastery'. Because a monastery, as one knows it, was never here.

Do you have more than a day? Then take a harbor tour with the Weiße Flotte. Through the Strelasund, it goes under the Rügen Bridge, around Dänholm, past the shipyard, and back.

Since I have many friends who get seasick, an alternative tip: Take a night watchman city tour in the evening.

On the city's website, you can book further activities such as a culinary city walk or a tour of the old town.

There are numerous excursion destinations around Stralsund. Whether for a few hours or for a day visit.

At the ferry harbor in Stralsund, you can take the ferry to the car-free island of Hiddensee daily at 9:20 AM and 5:35 PM. The journey to Neuendorf (in the south of Hiddensee) takes 90 minutes.

The return trip is at 2:45 PM (Kloster), 3:15 PM (Vitte), and 3:55 PM (from Neuendorf), depending on the location. Arrival in Stralsund is at 5:30 PM.

Want to learn more about Hiddensee? Here you can find out what you can experience in one day on Hiddensee!

On the Hiddensee ferry company's website, you can see the schedule and book tickets.

Note: Be mindful of the season of your visit, as the ferry only runs from spring to early November. From November, it only operates from Schaprode (Rügen) to Hiddensee.

Take a trip to Rügen. Either by ferry or by car, bus, or train. However, it takes longer to reach the sea if you arrive by train over the Rügen Dam. Because the train only stops in the island capital Bergen in the center of the island.

Learn more about sights and highlights on Rügen.

Directly at the bridge to Rügen, there is the 'Camper Area at the Rügen Bridge'. This offers a spot with electricity, showers, toilet, and dishwashing facilities for 22 Euros. Free WiFi is also available. Visit the website.

The area seems quite large but is quite cozy and ideally located for exploring the city.

Alternatively, you can park directly on the harbor island at the warehouses and Ozeaneum for a night. However, we found the daytime hustle and bustle with all the tourists too much. This parking lot is ideal for parking the camper, as we cannot drive into the nearby parking garage at the Ozeaneum with a motorhome.

Bad weather occurs often on the Baltic Sea. The following places are ideal in such cases:

For Stralsund, there is a great tour with a night watchman. A friend highly praised it. Unfortunately, the tour did not take place on our days in Stralsund.

Delicious coffee and breakfast can be found at Café La Mer at Alter Markt. At Neuen Markt, we recommend the Junge bakery as we do everywhere along the coast. You should definitely order a chocolate Franzbrötchen. Delicious!

You can find fish sandwiches on the harbor island at numerous fish cutters. We queued at the cutter Free Willy. Once for fish sandwiches and herring, and the other time for fish 'n' chips; we enjoyed both.

In a deck chair with a view of Rügen or the Gorch Fock, you can take a break at the harbor pub zum Goldenen Anker. On a sunny day, it's a great spot in Stralsund to relax.

We didn't have time to try further recommendations like the Fischersmann, the Schipperhus, and the bistro at the Ozeaneum. There were several more restaurants that looked cozy and inviting. Our stay was just too short.

If you want to visit several places in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, I recommend this camper guide for the Baltic coast or this Marco Polo Baltic coast guide.

We continually receive questions on Instagram, Facebook, and via email. We post them here to answer for everyone.

Sure. The beach bath of Stralsund is only a 15-minute walk from the old town (there is also a parking lot). Alternatively, there is the Deviner beach on the southern outskirts.

The fastest connection is by train from Stralsund Hbf to Bergen on Rügen. In 29 minutes, you reach the island's capital. If you are not traveling during peak times, you can only get to Rügen by car (22 minutes).

I hope the tour through Stralsund was enjoyable for you. You can find more about the Baltic Sea in my travel report for the Baltic Sea with the camper (from Usedom to Fehmarn).

Leave me a comment and let me know your tip for a perfect vacation in Stralsund! Do you have any questions? What are your favorite sights in Stralsund?

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