Stralsund: Old Town, Museums and Water

Stralsund combines a historic old town with museums devoted to the city’s history and marine worlds, as well as attractions at the harbor and beach resort.

Old Town and City History

Together with the old town of Wismar, Stralsund’s historic old town forms the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Towns of Stralsund and Wismar.” The joint World Heritage Site was inscribed on June 27, 2002. A particularly defining feature is that the old town has preserved its medieval layout almost unchanged to this day. This includes the street network, the arrangement of streets and squares, and the plot structure. This means Stralsund can be experienced not only through individual buildings, but also through the layout of the city.

On a city tour, discover winding lanes, imposing churches and impressive Brick Gothic architecture. Check the dates before your trip. The Museum House was built around 1320 as a merchant’s house and is one of the oldest houses in the city. Here, the focus is on a single historic building; its original function as a merchant’s house adds to the perspective on the old town as a whole.

The Stralsund Playing Card Factory offers a different focus: it is a museum, workshop and laboratory that produces both historic and new playing cards. Its activities therefore differ from the historic residential and commercial building of the Museum House. If you would like to consider different ways of exploring the city’s history when planning your trip, you can look at both a single historic building and an institution that still produces cards today.

Museums About the Seas

Since 1951, the MEERESMUSEUM has been located in the former Dominican monastery of St. Catherine in the old town. Its 31 aquariums include the “Caribbean Reef,” with 800,000 liters of water. The combination of the historic monastery setting and the aquariums gives the museum two distinct points of interest.

The OZEANEUM features a whale exhibition that is among the largest in the world, with life-size replicas of marine mammals. This includes a 26-meter-long blue whale. The rooftop terrace has a penguin habitat with Humboldt penguins and panoramic views of the silhouette of Stralsund, a UNESCO World Heritage city. With 50 aquariums, its exhibitions and the “Sea for Children” area, the OZEANEUM offers an underwater journey through the northern seas. The difference in theme is clear: the MEERESMUSEUM includes the Caribbean Reef, while the OZEANEUM focuses on the underwater world of the northern seas. If a particular exhibition is a deciding factor for your trip, check current visitor information in advance.

Boat Connections, Harbor Tours and Beach Resort

Daily boat services run from Stralsund Harbor to all three harbors on the island of Hiddensee. For a specific trip, it is a good idea to check the timetable for your travel day. Harbor tours offer a different perspective, with unobstructed views across the Strelasund, of Stralsund’s old town and of the nearby coast of Rügen. They operate seasonally, so check in advance whether a tour is available on your date.

Stralsund Beach Resort has 20,000 m² of fine sandy beach. One way to get there is to take bus route 4 to the “Klinikum am Sund” stop. Check the service before setting out. This gives you a choice between a boat connection to Hiddensee’s harbors, a seasonal tour with views of the city and coast, and a visit to the sandy beach.

Discover more destinations: Amt Bergen Auf Rügen, Binz, Amt West-Rügen, Marlow, Putbus, Amt Miltzow, Amt Altenpleen, Amt Darß/Fischland.

Back to the regional travel overview: Vorpommern-Rügen.