Stralsund is a Baltic port city in northeast Germany with a remarkably well-preserved medieval core. One of the Hanseatic League Ports that also spent time as part of the Swedish Empire, it’s a neat city with a long water frontage, the usual medieval/renaissance city plan and home to one of the world’s most famous sail training ships. Only a few hours on the train from Berlin, it is located in the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Also Chancellor Angela Merkel’s parliamentary constituency, it’s a great place to stop off for a couple of days and access the Baltic Coast, including nearby Rugen Island with open country and sandy beaches.

The Gorch Fock. The museum ship Gorch Fock is a steel-hulled sail training barque that operated between 1933 and 1945 for the German Navy. Named after the German writer killed at the naval Battle of Jutland in May 1916, the Gorch Fock was used for training and base ship roles until it was scuttled at Stralsund in 1945. Refloated by the Soviets and renamed the Tovarisch, it was based at Odessa and served in its sail training role, circumnavigating the world and competing in tall ships races, until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Returning to Stralsund in 2003, you can now visit it.

You have an extensive waterfront area with the remains of traditional storehouses – Stralsund sits in an inlet that is well protected from the elements.

Nikolaikirch/Rathaus. The 13th-century Nikolaikirche Cathedral is located at the south side of the Alter Markt, next to the medieval city hall. It is worth a visit for it’s well preserved medieval and renaissance artefacts, including extensive murals and a 16th-century pew, reserved for a trade association and with a warning for non-members to stay away!

And moving back into town, there are plenty of windy quiet lanes. Stralsund’s remarkably intact medieval center gained it UNESCO World Heritage status.

Brick Gothic style churches and buildings dominate the architecture of the place.

Medieval City Wall. Stralsund was by the 13th century a protected island with the Baltic to east and a massive city wall,  bounded today by three lakes, the largest of which, the Knieperteich, lines against the west side of the city. A good way to get an idea of how the walls must have looked is by walking along the east side of the Knieperteich from the railway station into town.

Trips out of Town. You can easily hike out of town along a waterfront trail – head north from Seestrasse along the trail. If a 4 kilometer round trip is enough for you, turn back at the excellently named Sportboothafen Schwedenschanze.

One other option is to hire bikes from a local provider such as Fahrradverleih Heiden (http://www.fahrradvermietung-heiden.de) at Tribseer Strasse 7, and cycle over the Rugenbrucke to Rugen Island.

Logistics. Stralsund is very compact and walkable, with two main squares – the Neuer Markt in the southwest and the Alter Markt cathedral-fronted square in the northeast. The rail station is just west of the old town outside the line of fortifications and is about 20 minutes’ walk to the Alter Markt. The Scheelehof Hotel on Fährstrasse 23 – 25 is a good place to stay with a great breakfast. The Fritz Braugasthaus (Am Fischmarkt 13A) has a good menu with a superbly executed wienerschnitzel, and it’s own range of house beers that include German standards as well as IPAs and Stouts. A couple of good fish restaurants include the Hafengaststätte Klabautermann (Am Querkanal 2) and the Stralsunder Jung (Am Querkanal 5). Good casual lunchtime seafood places include Fischhalle (Neue Badenstrasse 2) by the waterfront and Das Fischbistro (Heilgeiststrasse 92).