Stralsund is a city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated at the southern coast of the Strelasund (a sound of the Baltic Sea separating the island of Rügen from the mainland). A bridge (the Rügendamm) and several ferry services connect Stralsund with the ports of Rügen. The main industries of Stralsund are shipyards, fishing, and, to an increasing degree, tourism. The town on the river Strela ("Arrow" in Slavic) was founded as Stralov/Strelov in 1234 by Slavic settlers from Rügen (Rana). Traders from Germany arrived in the following years, and the town began to grow, presenting a challenge to the powerful city of Lübeck, which burnt Stralsund down in 1249. Afterwards the town was rebuilt with a massive city wall having 11 town gates and 30 watchtowers. The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square (Alter Markt), with the Gothic Town Hall (13th century). Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas' Church), built in 1270-1360. The square is surrounded by houses from different periods, including the Gothic Wulflamhaus (a 14th-century patrician house, today a restaurant), and the Baroque Commandantenhaus, seat of the old Swedish command headquarters.