Located in the Hanseatic town of Stralsund is North Germany’s most visited museum - the German Oceanographic Museum. It’s set across numerous buildings, including the Nautineum, the Natureum and the Ozeaneum, with the main Oceanographic Museum housed within a former hall of St. Catherine’s Church.
The main Oceanographic Museum features exhibits detailing Germany’s marine environment, including its fishing industries, the flora and fauna of the Baltic Sea and ongoing conservation and research projects. Around 600 living marine crea-tures are on display in its dozens of aquaria, including a vast range of tropical fish and giant tortoises.
The Ozeaneum on Stralsund's harbor island is the main attraction of the German Oceanographic Museum and is one of the largest aquariums in Europe. It boasts around 7,000 marine animals, with a focus on sea life of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, and is renowned for having the world’s largest whale exhibition.
The Nautineum is located on the island of Dänholm in the old barrel yard of the Stralsund Water and Shipping Authority and is linked to Stralsund by a bridge. It explores topics that include hydrography, sea routes and fishing, as well as featuring an exhibition on whale research that includes immense skeletons.
The Natureum is located to the northwest of Stralsund on the Darß Peninsula in the middle of the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park. It explores the evolution of the natural landscape of the Darß Peninsula and the animals that call it home, as well as being home to the 150-year-old Darßer Ort Lighthouse that boasts impressive coastal views.