Somehow we whiled away half the morning on nothing in particular – though I did have to come to grips with the peculiarities of the washing machine without my washing buddy Ilze (where are you when I need you!!)  The Old Town of Stralsund was only a short drive away, and we set off late in the morning full of naïve enthusiasm, planning to park the car and spend the day exploring on foot.  The picnic lunches were packed and the camera primed. What could possibly go wrong?

Stralsund’s Old Town is on a small island right on the coast, accessible by several land bridges.  It is only a couple of kms to circumnavigate.  It is also a tourist town in the height of summer.  Let’s call our first lap “orientation”.  We drove past a number of the attractions, but were too busy trying to interpret the innumerable and varied parking signs (which of course were all in German).  Our first attempt saw us neatly parallel park – in a residents’ only zone.  Next we tried to park at a supermarket, but after translating the sign “any car parked here for purposes other than shopping WILL be towed”, we decided not to take the risk.  We embarked on Lap 2, eventually pulling into an off road car park but failing to activate the boom gate.  A disembodied voice instructed us to “go to the cash machine”, but we couldn’t see one anywhere, so Ian enacted an embarrassing reversal which triggered the start of Lap 3.  Needless to say things were getting a little terse inside the Gran Coupe.

We started driving down random side streets in the vague hope of finding an elusive space.  Voila! (or whatever the German equivalent is).  There was a street with a big blue “P” sign, no restrictions, and a couple of empty spots! It had taken 90 minutes to hunt down.  On the plus side, Ian had perfected the 5 point turn after lots of practice.

Once on foot, things became decidedly easier.  We walked down pleasant leafy streets to the lakes which surround the Aldstadt (Old Town).  After crossing two pedestrian bridges with lovely views, we devoured our picnic, then pressed on.

We entered the Aldstadt via one of only two gates left from the days when Stralsund was a walled town, and began our wanderings.    It was everything you could want from a medieval, World Heritage-listed town, and had the advantage of being compact and easy to navigate on foot.

Quick history: Stralsund was founded in 1234, although it was a settlement long before that.  The town was burned down in 1249 by rival town Lubeck; it was rebuilt with a massive wall having 11 gates and 30 watchtowers.  It became one of the most prosperous of the medieval Hanseatic League towns.  Under Swedish control from 1679 until 1807, it then became part of Prussia.  Like the rest of Germany, it fell under Nazi rule, then was part of East Germany until reunification in 1990.  Since then, the old town has been almost completely restored, and it was granted World Heritage listing in 2002.

We began by looking at the remnants of the wall and the two remaining gates.  We strolled down cobbled streets, admiring the rows of historic houses with their distinctive gables and elaborate front doors, which have been renovated at high financial cost.

At the harbour, we saw the sailing ship Gorch Fock, which was a training ship for the Navy in the early 1930s as the Reich geared up for war.

From here we walked to the Old Market Square, which is dominated by St Nikolai Church. Built between 1270 and 1360, it is Stralsund’s oldest church.  The flagstones in the floor are uneven and worn after 800 years, but the restored interior is imposing and beautiful.

The astronomical clock, constructed in 1394, is the oldest of its kind still preserved in its original state.  Next to the church is the Rathaus (Town Hall), one of the most significant brick gothic buildings in northern Germany.

More wandering brought us to the New Market Square, and Marienkirche. Built from 1383-1473, for a time it was the world’s tallest structure.  We ascended the 104 metre high tower by way of a steep spiral staircase, followed by a series of wooden ladder-like steps.  We made it gasping for breath all the way to the top, where the panoramic views were a wonderful reward.

Back on ground level, we gazed up in awe at the soaring, delicately painted ceilings. There is a small timber cross from Coventry Cathedral mounted on a wall, in a symbol of reparation for the bombings of WW2.

We made our way back via one of Stralsund’s “greenways”, a bike and walking path which hugged the edge of a lake, before it narrowed and traversed a small section of woodland, then emerged right beside the car.  A very pleasant way to end a delightful afternoon.