Stralsund (Germany)

Stralsund is a Baltic Sea port and Hanseatic town in Germany's Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state (Western Pomerania region), with population around 60,000. The port is located on the southern coast of Strelasund (aka Strela Sound) that separates Rugen Island from mainland Germany. Stralsund and Rugen are connected via Strelasund Crossing (two bridges Rugenbrucke and Rugendamm), the Stralsund - Sassnitz railway line and regularly scheduled daily ferries (Stralsund- Altefahr, and Stahlbrode-Glewitz).

The town received its city rights in 1234 as one of the members of the Hanseatic League (1358-founded commercial and defensive confederation of market towns). In 2002, Alte Stadt Stralsund (Old Town) was declared UNESCO Heritage site (together with Wismar). The current city's economy is based on shipyards (ship building and repairs), commercial fishing, engineering, life sciences, high-tech industries (especially biotechnology), tourism.

Stralsund is linked to Berlin and Hamburg (via highway A20), to Rostock (via B105), to Rugen (via B96), to Grimmen (via B194), as well as (via trains) to Berlin, Rostock, Pasewalk and Rugen. Rostock-Laage Airport serves regularly scheduled flights from Munich.

As cruise port, Stralsund was included in the 2020 schedule of the riverboat MS Mona Lisa - owned and operated by one of Europe's largest river cruise companies - CroisiEurope. Next table shows the 6-day cruisetour itinerary (Stralsund to Berlin) with prices from ~USD 1550 per person (double-occupancy cabin rates).

The German shipbuilding company Meyer Werft GmbH & Co KG was founded in 1795 and currently headquartered in Papenburg. Meyer Werft (part of Meyer Neptun Group) builds cruise ships, ferries (passenger and Ro-Ro), tanker ships, boxships, livestock carriers, research vessels. MV Werften operates 3 shipyards - in Papenburg, Rostock and Turku Finland, plus the module fabrication facilities in Wismar and Stralsund.