Münster

The university city where the Peace of Westphalia was signed, with the Prinzipalmarkt arcades, the cathedral and the Picasso Museum, plus Münsterland's moated castles to explore by bike.

Münster lies in the north of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The historic heart of Westphalia and a university city of about 320,000 people, it is famous as a "bicycle city." Part of the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War, was signed here, and the Hall of Peace in the Historic City Hall survives to this day. About 90% of the old town was destroyed in World War II and rebuilt to its original appearance afterwards; its core — the Prinzipalmarkt arcades, St. Lambert's Church, St. Paulus Cathedral and the Domplatz — is easily explored on foot. Münster Palace, the Erbdrostenhof and the Clemenskirche, all designed by Schlaun, make up a Baroque route. Around the Aasee in the southwest are the zoo, the natural history museum and the Mühlenhof open-air museum, all good for families. More than a hundred moated castles dot the surrounding Münsterland plain, with Burg Hülshoff, Burg Vischering and Nordkirchen Palace the classic destinations by bike or car. The best season is Apr–Oct, ideal for cycling around the lake and to the castles; from late November to late December several Christmas markets open across the old town. It rains a lot year-round, so bring rain gear. Getting there: about 1.5–2 hours by train from Düsseldorf or Cologne, about 30 minutes from Dortmund; Münster/Osnabrück Airport has a handful of flights. In town, rent a bike at the Radstation by the train station and mind the dedicated bike lanes. Plan on 1–2 days: one for the old town and lake, and one for cycling or driving to the moated castles. Most shops are closed on Sundays.

Top sights

• Prinzipalmarkt – Münster's most beautiful main street, a row of gabled shopfronts with arcades that runs to St. Lamberti's Church and is the old town's sign…
• Historic City Hall & Hall of Peace – The Gothic town hall where the Peace of Westphalia treaty was signed in 1648, with the wood-carved wall paneling of the Hall of Peace remar…
• St. Paulus Cathedral – Münster's cathedral, blending Romanesque and Gothic styles, where the 16th-century astronomical clock draws the biggest crowds when it chim…
• St. Lamberti Church – The late Gothic church at the northern end of Prinzipalmarkt, with three iron cages hanging from its tower, relics of 16th-century Anabapti…
• Kunstmuseum Pablo Picasso – The only museum in Germany named after Picasso. It is known for a collection of nearly 800 prints and regularly hosts modern art special ex…
• LWL Museum of Art and Culture – A state art museum beside the church square, with collections ranging from medieval sculpture and German Expressionism to contemporary art.
• Prince-Bishop's Palace – An 18th-century baroque palace of the prince-bishops, now the main building of the University of Münster, with a broad forecourt.
• Botanical Garden of Münster – The university botanical garden behind the palace. Its greenhouses and gardens are free to visit, making it a good add-on after the palace.
• Aasee – A city lake southwest of the old town, where locals walk, cycle, and go boating along the lakeside path and lawns.
• Promenade – A 4.5-kilometer ring promenade built along the site of the old city walls. Motor vehicles are banned, and it is a symbol of Münster as a ci…
• Erbdrostenhof – A baroque noble residence designed by Schlaun. Its slanted facade and festive hall are among the finest baroque works in northern Germany.
• Clemenskirche – A small round baroque church designed by Schlaun, with dome frescoes and a gilded altar of refined splendor.
• Liebfrauen-Überwasser Church – A 14th-century Gothic hall church on the far side of the Aa River. Its tall tower is part of the old town skyline.
• Domplatz Weekly Market – A large farmers' market held in front of the cathedral every Wednesday and Saturday, where you can sample Westphalian ham and street food.
• Kiepenkerl Monument – A bronze statue of a Kiepenkerl peddler in the northern old town, surrounded by stone-paved lanes lined with restaurants. A good place to e…
• Stadtmuseum Münster – A free city history museum that uses models and artifacts to tell Münster's story, from its prince-bishop era to its reconstruction after W…
• Münster Harbour (Kreativkai) – A former harbor warehouse district on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, converted into restaurants, bars, and creative offices. Best visited in the e…
• Allwetterzoo Münster – A large zoo on the southern shore of Aasee. Its exhibits are linked by covered walkways, so you can visit even in the rain. Great for famil…
• LWL Museum of Natural History & Planetarium – A natural history museum next to the zoo, with dinosaur skeletons and a dome planetarium. Popular with families.
• Mühlenhof Open-Air Museum – An open-air folk museum on the shore of Aasee, with relocated windmills and Münsterland farmhouses that recreate rural life of the past.
• Zwinger – A round defensive tower northeast of the Promenade. It was once a prison, and during World War II it was a Gestapo execution site. It is no…
• Haus Rüschhaus – A country residence Schlaun designed for himself, later the home of the poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff.
• Burg Hülshoff – A moated water castle on the western edge of Münster and the birthplace of poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. It is reachable by bike.
• Vischering Castle – A 13th-century moated castle in Lüdinghausen, one of the most typical water castles of the Münsterland, with a museum inside.
• Nordkirchen Palace – A baroque water palace known as the “Versailles of Westphalia,” with red brick reflected in its moat.

Where to eat

• Pinkus Müller – Restaurant attached to Münster's last remaining old-style brewery, run by the same family since 1816; a must-try is the…
• Altes Gasthaus Leve – Münster's oldest restaurant, dating back to 1607, where you can eat authentic Töttchen amid Delft tiles and dark wood p…
• Grosser Kiepenkerl – A historic Old Town favorite beside the Kiepenkerl statue, certified Slow Food, serving Westphalian dishes made with in…
• Gasthaus Stuhlmacher – A long-established inn on Prinzipalmarkt beside the Town Hall since 1890, famous for Pfefferpotthast peppered beef stew…
• Coeur d'Artichaut – Westphalia's only two-Michelin-star restaurant, where a French chef blends Breton flavors with North German seasonal in…

Itineraries

• Münsterland Water Castles Cycling – Start from the bicycle city of Münster and cycle along the southern loop of the 100 Castles Route to visit water castle…