Germany: Stralsund
Another Hanseatic Baltic city – Stralsund – was perhaps the most prosperous of the northern trade towns and the wealth transformed into stunning and elaborate Brick Gothic architecture here. The centerpiece is the market square with the townhall from 1278, whose facade was built just to show off the city’s wealth. Behind the townhall is a massive St Nicholas Church – two huge square towers soaring into the sky. The square itself is full of medieval houses. Elsewhere in town there are a couple more churches and old buildings and then on the waterfront of the port is a beautiful three-mast ship Gorch Fork.
