"Much more than just the gateway to Rügen" Stralsund by CatherineReichardt

Antistar informs me that I must finish this page because it is the first posting on Stralsund since he compiled his travel page back in 2005. And given that his VT ranking is much higher than mine, his wish is my command!

Judging by the lack of postings on Stralsund, it would appear that this is a much underrated travel destination. And yet it is located on the only road access to the island of Rügen, a major tourist destination, at least for German tourists. I think that the problem lies in the fact that by the time that visitors bound for Rügen get to Stralsund, they just want to put their foot down and finish the journey, rather than stopping off and savouring this lovely town. Which is a great pity, as Stralsund has so much to offer the tourist.

The historic centre of Stralsund is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, selected on the basis of its Hanseatic League past and Red Brick Gothic splendour, as well as the legacy of its Swedish occupation in the 17th century. Yet it appears to remain largely unknown to non-German tourists - all the better for the canny Virtual Tourist, eager to explore the gems that others have overlooked (with prices to match)!

Stralsund is hardly the political backwater that it might have been in recent years, as the elected representative for the Stralsund – Nordvorpommern – Rügen constituency to the German Bundestag is Angela Merkel, the German Federal Chancellor. And although it is unusual for the Chancellor to act as a personal host for State visits, she did so for the visit to Stralsund by Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway in June 2010, so she is clearly keen to show off her home turf!

Stralsund's entire city centre is built in the Red Brick Gothic style - including the enormous and imposing Marienkirche - and usually gets a writeup in literature on the Red Brick Gothic trail through the old Hanseatic cities of the German north coast. However, it may come as something of a surprise to learn that the Ozeanum in Stralsund was named European Museum of the Year in 2010. Unfortunately we were short of time and didn't know that the Ozeanum was that good - which shows you how limited the tourist information on Stralsund is - so we missed it: just another reason to return! We did however visit the Meeresmuseum, which I can highly recommend.

Tourists to Rügen usually come to enjoy the beach and the wonderful range of outdoor activities that this lovely island has to offer. However, given that the Nordsee coast doesn't guarantee sunshine - or even dry weather - even in summer, it's always good to have a fall back option for when the weather turns bad, and Stralsund provides exactly that. The Ozeanum and Meeresmuseum are particularly good places to retreat when it's rainy and will keep the kids happily occupied for hours.

Lastly, there is the aesthetically pleasing Rügen Suspension Bridge (also called Strelasund Crossing) which opened in October 2007, just after we visited. The bridge is a glorious piece of engineering and at just under 4.1km in length, is the longest bridge in Germany.

One last word on planning, based on our own experience. We knew little of the area when we put together our itinerary and decided to stay in Stralsund and commute almost daily onto Rügen. This arrangement didn't really work too well: I guess that we just underestimated the travel distance (Rügen is, after all, Germany's island by a long way). In hindsight, I would have chosen to stay a few days in somewhere like Binz on Rügen itself and then have had a couple of days in Stralsund either on the way in or out, thereby combining the best of both worlds!

• Pros:Wonderful Red Brick Gothic architecture and some cracking good museums
• Cons:Probably not the best place to base yourself if you're planning to explore Ruegen
• In a nutshell:Much more than just the gateway to Ruegen!