Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [663]
AQUARIUMS
Stralsund is home to two of the country’s top aquariums. Combination tickets per adult/child cost €18/11.
In a stylised arctic-white wavelike building that leaps out from the surrounding redbrick warehouses, the state-of-the-art Ozeaneum ( 2650 610; www.ozeaneum.com; Hafenstrasse 11; adult/child €14/8; 9.30am-9pm Jun-Sep, 9.30am-7pm Oct-May) takes you into an underwater world of creatures from the Baltic and North Seas and the Atlantic Ocean up to the polar latitudes.
By contrast, the Meeresmuseum (Oceanographic Museum; 265 0210; www.meeresmuseum.de; Katharinenberg 14-20; adult/child €7.50/5; 10am-6pm Jun-Sep, 10am-5pm Oct-May) aquarium is in the basement of a 13th-century convent building, and is filled with colourful tropical fish.
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Activities
Weisse Flotte ( 268 10; www.weisse-flotte.com, in German; Fährstrasse 16; adult/child €7/4) offers four one-hour harbour cruises a day from May to October, circling the island of Dänholm, between Stralsund and Rügen.
West of Tribseer Damm is the massive HanseDom ( 373 30; www.hansedom.de; Grünhufer Bogen 18-20; adult/concession/child under 15yr per 2hr from €10.50/9.50/8; 9.30am-11pm), boasting numerous pools including a wave pool, water slides, an array of Oriental-style saunas, massage treatments and sports facilities, as well as several restaurants and bars and a four-star hotel (singles/doubles from €78/118).
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Tours
The tourist office rents out English-language MP3 audioguide tours (€7; leave your passport as a deposit). It also offers guided walking tours in German (€4) at 11am daily.
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Festivals & Events
A Seebühne (floating stage) is erected in the harbour each June to August for opera, operetta and classical music performances during the Ostseefestspiele ( 264 6150; www.ostseefestspiele.de).
In the third week of July, Stralsund cele-brates repelling an enemy invasion in 1628 with the Wallensteintage historic festival.
In early September, some 50 public buildings open their doors all night and welcome visitors with light displays, concerts, performing art, dance and cabaret during the Lange Nacht des Offenen Denkmals (Long Night of the Open Monuments).
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Sleeping
Younior Hotel ( 0800-233 388 234; www.younior-hotel.de, in German; Tribseer Damm 78; dm incl breakfast €20-25; ) In an expanse of parkland just around the corner from the Hauptbahnhof, a grand old 1897 building that once housed Stralsund’s railway offices now has a much more active life as a 300-bed hostel. Dorms have comfy, capsule-like triple-decker bunks, and fun facilities include a guest-only bar, table tennis, pool tables, a barbecue area and a sandy beach volleyball court.
Pension Cobi ( 278 288; www.pension-cobi.de, in German; Jakobiturmstrasse 15; s €35-45, d €50-70 incl breakfast; ) In the shadow of the Jakobikirche, this is a great location for exploring the Altstadt. Rooms are smart and clean, and some have balconies.
Altstadt Pension Peiss ( 303 580; www.altstadt-pension-peiss.de, in German; Tribseer Strasse 15; s €50-70, d €65-95; ) Spacious rooms with terracotta-coloured linen, Paul Gauguin prints and sparkling bathrooms combine with friendly, familiar service at this appealing guesthouse. With a terrace, small garden and bike rack, it’s especially popular with cyclists.
Hiddenseer ( 289 2390; www.hotel-hiddenseer.de, in German; Hafenstrasse 12; s €55-90, d €80-120 incl breakfast; ) A prime harbourside location by the Ozeaneum, comfortable rooms and a highly regarded restaurant (mains €9.80 to €22.80, open 11am Monday to Saturday, from 5pm Sunday) make the Hiddenseer one of Stralsund’s best options.
Hotel Kontorhaus ( 289 800; www.kontorhaus-stralsund.de; Am Queerkanal 1; s/d €80/118, ste €120 incl breakfast; ) This sleek harbour hotel states its nautical intent from the outset, with brown Hamburg-style brick and lots of windows, some shaped like portholes. Developed by a cruise-liner