Historic Munster, Germany. While many Americans are familiar with the German cities of Munich, Hamburg and Frankfurt, most have probably never heard of Münster, except to associate it with the cheese with a similar name but made in France. Pity too because historical cities like Münster are steeped in history and culture and is an amazing destination to explore.
The first thing I noticed stepping out of the train station in the city of Münster was the huge number of students and bicycles. Crossing
the street, it seemed like a river of both flowing around me. I guess that’s why it is called Germany’s Bicycle Capital.
Local residents and students can be found in all of the city’s quarters including the popular Prinzipalmarkt, Münster’s main shopping area. The 48 gabled buildings and covered arcades have been reconstructed since the war and now house all manner of retail shops,
boutiques and restaurants.
Speaking of food, there seemed to be a bakery around every corner and shops offering fine chocolates, gelato, coffee, and traditional
regional cuisine from the state known as North Rhine-Westfalia. Münster is a pedestrian city and very easy to navigate. I found the
tall church landmarks an easy way to remember where to find my hotel. Since everything is close by, you won’t need to take a car or taxi but you may want to think about renting a bicycle, if for no other reason than to fit in with what everyone else is doing.
The cities I visited on this trip: Augsburg, Würzburg, Münster, and Osnabrück are only 4 out of 13 historical cities that are part of the Historic Highlights of Germany. For more information visit: Germany Historical Highlights>.
Promotional considerations were provided on this trip by Germany Historic Highlights as well as the partners mentioned in this story.
Ron Stern is a photojournalist for this column.