Here we reveal the Stralsund sights for 1-2 days
Many tourists only pass through Stralsund to drive from here across the Baltic Sea to the Rügen Bridge – the connection to Germany’s largest island of Rügen. The ferries to Hiddensee also depart from here.
We did it differently and stayed in Stralsund for one night before crossing to Rügen. We have not regretted it, because the Hanseatic city on the Baltic Sea coast is beautiful.
The restored old town with its pretty Gothic houses and old gabled houses is particularly worthwhile. Here you don’t need a plan and you can just start walking.
Stralsund’s old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. That’s why we explored them and reveal in this article what you can do in Stralsund in one day.
Sights in Stralsund
Most of Stralsund’s sights are in the manageable old town, which you can easily explore on foot. A day trip is enough for that. If you want to get to know more sides of Stralsund or its beautiful surroundings, I advise you to plan a whole weekend or much longer for the Baltic Sea.
These are the most important sights in Stralsund as a list at a glance:
1. Marienkirche
2. Ozeaneum Stralsund
3. Marketplace with the town hall (Stralsund’s symbol), Wulflamhaus
4. Gorch Fock I
5. Maritime Museum Stralsund
6. Knieperteich and Kniepertor
7. Gothic gabled house
8. Monastery of the Healing Spirit
9. Harbor tour
10. Museum of Cultural History
Most important sights in Stralsund
The most famous landmarks in Stralsund as well as the historically most important places in the city. In my opinion, you definitely have to visit these places worth seeing when you visit Stralsund for the first time. We did a tour of the old town. Take a city tour and learn everything you need to know about the history of the city.
1. St. Mary’s Church
Stralsund’s churches characterize the silhouette of the city. The Marienkirche stands out from afar. The 104-meter-high church is said to have been the tallest building in the world until 1647 (then 151 meters high). Until a lightning strike shattered the tower and destroyed it.
You can climb the 90-meter-high viewing platform. From high up, you have a great view over the city, the Strelasund to Rügen. Unfortunately, we were too late and the tower of the church was already closed.
2. Stralsund Ozeaneum
Right next to the imposing storage facilities is the Ozeaneum natural history museum, which belongs to the German Maritime Museum Foundation. Of course, the main focus is the sea. The futuristic design in particular immediately stands out on the Stralsund harbor island.
Note: I usually avoid zoos and aquariums. However, I had only read good things about the Ozeaneum. In the upper area, there are a great exhibition 1:1 Giants of the Seas in cooperation with Greenpeace. Super spoken lectures on the sea giants take place at regular intervals. The room is 20 meters high, with life-size marine mammals hanging from above!
The museum is really well done. The exhibition includes the seas: the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the open Atlantic. There are many aquariums with fish, coral, and crabs. The Ozeaneum is really worth a visit, especially for people who have not yet had the privilege of seeing these animals in their real habitat.
The huge aquarium with animals from the Atlantic 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 the Humboldt penguins put me off. Regular readers of the blog know how much I love penguins. That’s why I was quite shocked by the small living space on the roof of the Ozeaneum. Better to watch in real life in Chile or South Africa.
More information about the Ozeaneum
- Entry Fee: 17 euros for adults, photo permit 1 euro
- A combination ticket consisting of a chalk cliff boat tour and the Ozeaneum is worthwhile for holidaymakers in Rügen
- Combined ticket: Ozeaneum and German Maritime Museum: 23 euros.
- Are you traveling by car? There is a multi-story car park directly at the Ozeaneum (Navigation: the Ozeaneum car park). If you come with a campervan, you can park behind the Ozeaneum opposite the Gorch Fock. Alternatively, the camping pitch to the Rügen Bridge is recommended.
Here you can book your ticket for the Ozeaneum online
Note: On the Dänholm there is the Nautineum, which is closed for the time being due to Corona.
3. Old Market Marketplace
The Old Market of the Hanseatic City of Stralsund is the center of the historic old town. The UNESCO World Heritage shows you the most beautiful buildings in Stralsund. Today’s market square has a few cafes and restaurants where you should linger and take a break.
Take a look at the facade of the Stralsund Town Hall. Walk through the courtyard and marvel at the portal of St. Nikolai Church, the oldest church in the Hanseatic city (entrance via the Nikolaikirche Museum).
I also particularly liked the Wulflamhaus opposite the town hall. The gabled house from the 14th century can be assigned to the North German brick Gothic style, which I like so much. Inside the Stralsund Wulflamhaus, there is a restaurant ( Wulflam Stuben ), which is said to be quite good. We could not test them because there was no hunger.
4. Gorch Fock I
As a tourist, you cannot avoid the Gorch Fock I. The famous sailing training ship of the German Navy, Gorch Fock I, is moored in Stralsund’s city harbour. The former prestige ship is now a museum that you can visit.
- Entry: adults: 5 euros (children 2.50 euros)
- Including the restored captain’s lounge, engine room, division rooms, ship’s hospital, and the double rudder.
(I’m not that interested in ships. Also, I was on some submarines and ships before the Baltic Sea vacation (e.g. in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii). Somehow the ships then look too much alike for me.)
In case you’re wondering why the ship is white, this is the original Gorch Fock. The replica from 1958 is now under the same name ( Gorch Fock II ) for the German Navy and is currently in Kiel.
5. German Maritime Museum Stralsund
To the German Maritime Museum connected is the Ozeaneum on the Stralsund harbor island, the Nautineum on Dänholm, and the Natureum on the Darß. For the Stralsund Maritime Museum, there are combined tickets with the Ozeaneum for 23 euros. This is available at the cash desks of both museums.
When it comes to aquariums, I’m never sure whether they are intended to protect animals or not. View more information about the German Maritime Museum on the official website.
Current status: Only open again in 2024, the information point is accessible free of charge. By 2024, the maritime museum will be completely renovated on a usable area of 7,500 m².
6. Knieper pond
If you have had enough of the old town and the breeze on the Baltic Sea coast, then go through the Kniepertor to the Knieperteich. The pond is more of a lake where you can take a small tour with pedal boats or rowing boats.
The Knieperteich was once part of the fortifications around the city. Today a local recreation area and ideal for escaping the tourist hustle and bustle.
The white bridges on the Küterdamm are particularly beautiful. The path connects the old town with the Tribseer suburb. Locals simply call this place the “white bridge”.
7. Gothic gabled house
The old historic gabled house was restored by owner Josef Wycisk and opened to the public. Inside you feel like you are in an antique market. Objects made of antique bricks with imprints, real bones (!?), and drawings can be found everywhere. Strange is probably a good thing.
- Address: Frankenstrasse 28
- Opening hours: not known, the house was open for us.
8. Healing Spirit Monastery
The complex includes the Heilgeist Hospital and the Heilgeist Church. The church, I read, is one of the oldest buildings in the area. The half-timbered houses behind the church used to house the sick. Go into the alley and look into the portico. Today there are apartments here.
I couldn’t find out where the name “monastery” came from. Because there was never a monastery as we know it.
- Address: Am Langenwall, Stralsund
9. Harbor Tour
Do you have more than one day? Then take a harbor tour with the White Fleet. It goes over the Strelasund under the Rügen Bridge, around Dänholm, past the shipyard, and back.
- Departure: 10:15 am, 12:15 pm, 2:15 pm
- Ticket: adults 10 euros, children (4-14) 5 euros
- Visit the White Fleet website for more information & ticket booking
Alternative tours in the center
Since I have many friends who get seasick, an alternative tip: do a city tour with the night watchman in the evening.
- The duration of the tour is about 1.5 hours
- Tickets: 10 euros. Book directly on the website
On the city’s website, you can book other activities such as a culinary city tour or a tour of the old town.
Visit the Stralsund Tourism website here
Attractions in the area
There are numerous excursion destinations around Stralsund. Whether for a few hours or a day visit.
Take the ferry to Hiddensee
In the Stralsund ferry port, you can take the ferry to the car-free island of Hiddensee every day at 9.20 a.m. and 5.35 p.m. The journey to Neuendorf (in the south of Hiddensee) takes 90 minutes.
Depending on the location, the return journey takes place at 2.45 p.m. (Kloster), 3.15 p.m. (Vitte), and 3.55 p.m. (from Neuendorf). Arrival in Stralsund is 5.30 p.m.
Want to learn more about Hiddensee? Here you can find out what you can experience in one day on Hiddensee!
You can view the timetable and book tickets on the website of the Hiddensee shipping company.
Note: Pay attention to the season of your visit, as the ferry only runs from spring to early November. From November it only goes from Schaprode (Rügen) to Hiddensee.
Visit Rügen
Take a trip to Rügen. Either by ferry or by car, bus or train. However, it takes longer to get to the sea if you come by train via the Rügendamm. Because the train only stops in the island’s capital, Bergen, in the middle of the island.
Here you can find out more about places worth seeing and highlights on Rügen.
More tips for Stralsund
RV park in Stralsund
The “Parking space at the Rügenbrücke” is located directly on the bridge to Rügen. This offers a parking space with electricity, showers, toilet and sinks for 18 euros. Free WiFi is also available.
The square seems quite large but is quite cozy and ideally located for exploring the city.
Alternatively, you can park directly on the Hafeninsel near the Speicher and Ozeaneum in a parking lot for one night. However, the hustle and bustle of the day with all the tourists is too much for us. This parking lot is ideal for parking the camper. Because we cannot drive into the nearby multi-story car park at the Ozeaneum with a mobile home.
Activities in the rain
Bad weather happens again and again on the Baltic Sea. The following locations are ideal:
- Oceanium
- German Maritime Museum
- Brewery tour in the Störtebeker Braumanufaktur
- HanseDom – leisure and water park
- Stralsund Museum
- Playing card factory museum workshop
Tours and city tours
For Stralsund, there is a great tour with a night watchman. A friend raved about it. Unfortunately, the tour did not take place on our days in Stralsund.
Eating & Drinking
You can find delicious coffee and breakfast at Café Mandant on Alter Markt. As everywhere along the coast, we recommend the Junge bakery on the Neuer Markt. You should definitely order a chocolate Franzbrötchen here. Delicious!
Fish sandwiches are available from numerous fishing boats on the harbor island. We queued for the cutter Free Willy and the fishing cutter Anja. Both were great. Once fish roll Matjes and the other Fish’n’Chips have tasted.
In a deck chair with a view of Rügen or the Gorch Fock, you can take a break at the Goldenen Anker harbor pub. A great place to relax in Stralsund when the sun is shining.
We didn’t have time to make other recommendations such as the Fischersmanns, the Schipperhus, and the Bistro am Ozeaneum. There were a few more restaurants that looked cozy and very inviting. Our stay was just too short.
Frequently asked questions about Stralsund
We keep getting questions on Instagram, Facebook, and by email. We’ll post those here to answer for everyone.
Yes of course. Stralsund’s lido is only a 15-minute walk from the old town (there is also a car park). Alternatively, there is Deviner Strand on the southern outskirts.
The fastest connection is by train from Stralsund Hbf to Bergen auf Rügen. In 29 minutes you can reach the island capital. If you do not travel during peak travel times, you can only get to Rügen by car (22 minutes).
Do you have any other ideas on what to do in Stralsund? What is your most beautiful Stralsund sight?
I hope you enjoyed the tour of Stralsund. You can find more about the Baltic Sea in my travel report for the Baltic Sea with a mobile home (from Usedom to Fehmarn).
