Center of Baroque Beauty

Northern Germany has always been a gateway of sorts with her busy ports of trade with Scandinavian countries and prominence in the Hanseatic League. Today the grand medieval homes and public buildings still stand in monument to the booming commerce of the Middle Ages.

Münster uses its character and charm to create a link between tradition and modern lifestyles. In the historical core of the city, its long heritage has remained recognizable. The heart of the city and its main eye-catcher is the St. Paulus Dom (St. Paul's Cathedral) built over some 40 years on the threshold from Romanesque to Gothic with one of the most lavishly decorated naves in Germany.

You’ll also be delighted by the Prinzipalmarkt (Principal Market). Lined by houses with pointed roofs and arched pathways, it is one of Europe’s most beautiful inner-city squares. Don’t miss the St. Lambertikirche (St. Lamberti Church) and the Rathaus (City Hall) with the historic Friedenssaal (Hall of Peace) where the 1648 Treaty of  Westphalia brought an end to the Thirty Years’ War.That peace was reached by negotiation and compromise rather than by domination and defeat.

Also "must" attractions are the splendid Baroque buildings by Johann Conrad Schlaun, Westphalia's great Baroque master builder. His chief work is the Palace (Prince Bishop's Residence), now part of the University. The Erbdrostenhof (Erbdrosten Courtyard) and the St. Clemens-Kirche (St. Clemens' Church), reminiscent of the Italian Baroque, are further gems of his creative spirit. Together with the Dominikanerkirche (Dominican Church) they form the Barockinsel (Baroque Island) in the city center.

Münster’s museums and theaters offer lively culture, kept vibrant through actors, musicians, writers and artists who all contribute to the cultural Münster mixture.

Münster´s landmark is the "Rathaus" (City Hall), a Gothic building with a high gable dating from the mid-14th century. After being completely destroyed in the war it was rebuilt as a near-replica of the original, in the wake of the initiative taken by private businessmen and with the aid of donations made by the people of Münster in the 1950s.

The most important room in the historic "Rathaus" is the "Friedenssaal" (Hall of Peace), where the Spanish-Dutch peace treaty was signed on 15 May 1648 and the Thirty Years War was ended by the peace of Westphalia on 24 October 1648. "Pax optima rerum" - or "Nothing is better than peace" - was the guided thought for the peace negotiations immortalized on a cast-iron oven plate.

The series of events entitled "The Peace of Westphalia" started up in 2006, with the "Friedenswoche" (Peace Week) in October recalling Münster´s special responsibility as a city of peace.

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Since the Middle Ages, the "Prinzipalmarkt" (Principal Market) has been Münster's main shopping street. 

The tall, narrow houses with their steep gables and arched arcades on massive columns were originally built by wealthy investors. Generations of merchants have established their businesses along this remarkable street since the late 12th century.

The "Prinzipalmarkt" is the oldest shopping street in Münster and is the center of the Old Town. Even during the Middle Ages, the arcades made shopping possible in any weather condition.

Destroyed in a bombing raid in 1943, the houses along the "Prinzipalmarkt" were rebuilt in the old style reflecting the street's quaint, old architecture and historic atmosphere. The Gothic gables of the City Hall and the Renaissance façade of the "Stadtweinhaus" (City Wine House) are almost exactly as they were during medieval times.

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The "St. Paulus Dom" (St. Paul's Cathedral) is an architectural masterpiece dating back to the 13th century. Spanning the threshold of the Romanesque and Gothic periods, it took some 80 years to complete the colossal building. In fact very few cathedrals in Germany are as richly adorned as this one. A marvel of the late medieval times, the astronomical clock features a calendar extending to the year 2071, with glockenspiel workdays at noon and Sundays and holidays at 12:30 p.m.

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The "Lambertikirche" (St. Lamberti Church) stands at the crossing of Münster's two oldest city streets. Today's late Gothic construction dates to the late 14th century, the west tower to the late 19th century.

Look for the three iron cages hanging from the steeple, it's where executed Anabaptists were exhibited as a warning to the populace. As took place as early as 1481, a traditional tower watchman (actually, today, a watchwoman) blows a copper horn every half hour from 9 p.m. to midnight (except Tuesdays).

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Münster's most beautiful noble residence, the Erbdrostenhof (Erdbrosten Courtyard House) was built from 1753 till 1757 and forms a part of the "Barockinsel" (Baroque Island) with the "St. Clemens-Kirche" (St. Clemens Church) and "Dominikanerkirche" (Dominican Church). The architect was the famous Westphalian baroque master Johann Conrad Schlaun. Most of Münster's magnificent buildings were designed by him. Today it serves as the headquarters for the state curator.

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The Bischöflichen Palais (Prince Bishop's Palace) was built from 1767 to 1787 as a three-winged building by J.C. Schlaun with rich figure decorations on the facades. Following destruction during the war, the outer appearance was restored true to the original. Today, the palace forms the main building of the university.

To the left of the main palace building, a small door leads into the garden with its stock of beautiful old trees. The botanical gardens of the university are at the rear. Three times a year an enormous fair - the Send - takes place on the "Hindenburgplatz" (Hindenburg Square) in front of the palace attracting thousands of visitors. The university's central lecture hall also lies on the "Hindenburgplatz" where conferences and even concerts are frequently held.

Four times a year, during the summer months, a large flea market is held on the promenade in front of the palace, an attraction for both people inclined to buy and curious onlookers  from near and far.

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This artificial lake at the periphery of the city is a popular local recreation area and a favorite spot for aquatic sports.  

The Aa, Münster's local river, was dammed at this point creating the inland "Aasee" (Aa Lake) that has become a favorite place of recreation and a welcome opportunity for fans of water sports.

During the summer months, the boat "Professor Landois" cruises on the lake and stops at major attractions such as the "Allwetterzoo" (All-Weather Zoo), the "LWL-Westfälisches Museum der Naturgeschichte" (Westphalian Museum of Natural History) and the "Mühlenhof Freilichtmuseum" (Mühlenhof Open-Air Museum).

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This statue commemorate the popular figure of the "Kiepenkerl" (Peddler), the traveling salesmen who traded goods and gossip in the medieval Münsterland region.

Symbolic of the traveling salesman in the Münsterland region, the Kiepenkerl traditionally dressed in a short linen smock with red scarf and cap. He typically carried a knotted walking stick, smoked a pipe and was responsible for conveying goods - and the latest gossip - between the city and neighboring villages.

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Münster's municipal port has developed from a goods trans-shipment centre to the Creative Quay. Office buildings, art, culture, restaurants, and trendy clubs make sure there's a lot going on around the clock.

The particular charm of the municipal port of Münster lies in the mixture of restructured warehouses and modern architecture. The creative ones have found their district here: advertising agencies, architectural offices, and publishing houses such as the Coppenrath Verlag with Felix the bunny have settled here.
 
Those who are eager to breathe some port air during the day are recommended to see the exhibition hall for contemporary art Münster. The exhibition hall is located inside a converted warehouse which in addition domiciles 30 artists' studios. Subsequently, the view to the waters can be enjoyed from the numerous coffeehouses or restaurants.

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The Rüschhaus House is both a jewel of late baroque architecture and a memorial to Annette von Droste-Hülshoff.

Der Westphalian baroque master builder Johann Conrad Schlaun built it between 1745 and 1749 as his own country estate. Annette von Droste-Hülshoff lived and worked in the Rüschhaus from 1826 to 1846.

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Having a good time in the old town

No visit in Münster would be perfect without a Westphalian evening in the "Kuhviertel" (Cow District). The entertainment district, steeped in tradition, is a living mix of students' pubs and cozy, typically Westphalian restaurants - the "Pinkus Müller" for instance, a dark beer brewery where you will be seated underneath ancient beams painted with aphorisms, along long wooden tables where whole generations of guests have immortalized themselves.

But the "Kuhviertel" has a lot to offer even during the day. It is probably the most pristine place in Münster. Alleys with nooks and crannies, little shops with owner-operated businesses and restaurants invite you to loiter around.

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The three-aisled "Petrikirche" (St. Peter's Church) from the period between Gothic and early Renaissance features a richly decorated north portal in the Renaissance style. Originally a church of the Jesuits, it is today the school church of the Paulinum, the oldest humanistic grammar school in Germany.

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A comfortable walk all around Münster

Münster's promenade - a boulevard underneath lime-trees

Where once were the city walls, a green belt stretches around the old town today. The promenade with its double-row lime-tree avenue is car-free and an important transportation corridor for all those traveling by foot, bicycle or inline skates.

Here, the big flea market takes place five times a year from the "Hindenburgplatz" (Hindenburg Square) to the "Aasee" (Aa Lake) direction, attracting the eager to buy as well as sightseers from near and far beyond the Münsterland region.

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The "St. Clemens-Kirche" (St. Clemens' Church) is an important work of Baroque by Johann Conrad Schlaun and was once a part of a monastery and local hospital and forms a part of the Münster's "Barockinsel" (Baroque Island). It was built by the Prince Bishop Clemens August from 1745 - 1753.

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First completed in 1340, the high, light hall "Liebfrauenkirche" (Church of Our Beloved Lady) has the mightiest Gothic church tower in Westphalia, although the helm roof has been missing since a hurricane in 1704. The beautiful sculptures of the "Figurenportal" (figure door), destroyed by the Baptists, were discovered under the transept and can today be seen in the "Landesmuseum" (State Museum). The church is also known as the "Überwasserkirche" (Overseas Church), since it was on the far side of the Aa River from the town.

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