Rathaus Stralsund, Gothic town hall at Alter Markt, Stralsund, Germany
Rathaus Stralsund is the town hall of the city, standing on Alter Markt with a tall decorative brick facade fitted with blind arcades, pointed arches, and stepped gables in the North German Brick Gothic style. Behind this screen facade lies the actual medieval building, which extends back from the square and contains a series of historic chambers at ground level.
The building dates to the 13th century, when Stralsund was one of the leading ports of the Hanseatic League along the Baltic coast. It was expanded and altered over the following centuries, though the core medieval structure remained.
The screen facade facing Alter Markt was designed to be seen from the square, giving it a theatrical quality that sets it apart from the actual building behind it. Locals still gather on the square in front of it, as they have for centuries.
The building sits at the heart of the old town on Alter Markt, which is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the city center. Some parts of the interior are open to visitors, but it is worth checking current access conditions before you go.
Beneath the building lies a vaulted cellar that is considered one of the largest surviving medieval cellar spaces in northern Germany. It was originally used for storing goods and served merchants who traded on the square above.
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