The Alter Markt is the heart of Stralsund's old town — a large, roughly rectangular medieval market square flanked by the Town Hall to the south and St. Nikolai Church to the north, with merchant townhouses completing the enclosure. It is one of the finest market squares in northern Germany, and the view of the Town Hall's Gothic tracery facade from the square's centre is as good as anything in the Hanseatic world.
Weekly markets are held here on most days; in December a Christmas market fills the square. The square has outdoor restaurants and cafes along its edges in summer. Walking the perimeter and examining the architectural details — the tracery gables, the Gothic windows, the variation in the townhouses — can occupy a satisfying hour.