Practical information – Münster at a glance

The ideal place to study – and visit!

Three things immediately strike those who visit Münster for the first time: its beautiful old town, the large number of bikes and the many young people. More than 50,000 students shape the historic and simultaneously modern university town with its almost 300,000 inhabitants.

History and Culture

Münster was founded in 805 and came to fame when the 30-Years’ War came to an end in Münster with the Peace of Westphalia of 1648. The town centre with its arcades, churches, gabled houses, narrow alleyways, lively places, traditional pubs and modern cafes is popular with both tourists and Münsterers alike.

Other outstanding qualities of Münster are its ample green areas, with the city’s alameda and a green belt around the old town, and its being embedded into the charming parkland of the Münsterland.

The cultural scene and the museum scene in Münster are multifaceted and well-known beyond the region as they comprise both Münster’s traditional history (Peace Hall, Mühlenhof Open-Air Museum) and the modern arts (graphic art museum Pablo Picasso, sculpture exhibition, Städtische Bühne).

For more information please visit Tourist Office.

Most liveable city of 2004

Why did the LivCom judging panel name Münster as the world’s most liveable city of 2004? Because the town convinced them in the five required categories:

  1. Enhancement of the Natural and Built Landscape
  2. Arts, Culture and Heritage
  3. Environmental Best Practices
  4. Community Participation and Empowerment
  5. Strategic Planning

Münster received the highest possible rating in all of the categories and, in addition, also scored with its focus on a sustainable and integrated urban development

Photo bottom right:  © Juliette Ritz

Free time in Münster

In case you are planning to stay in Münster few days longer, there is a wide range of activities, which you can undertake during your weekend stay in Münster.

We kindly recommend you following leisure time activities such as:

  • Hop on hop off bus
  • Horse-carriage-ride
  • Saturday´s morning market at the cathedral of Münster
  • Visit the Westphalian Museum of Art and Cultural History (LWL museum)
  • Walk along the Aa-side

Useful links for your leisure time