Münster Guia de Viagem

Münster Osnabrück International Airport

The Münster Osnabrück International Airport (FMO) is conveniently located on the motorways A1/A30 and is therefore the central airport for western Lower Saxony, Westphalia and the eastern Netherlands. The airport is located close to the major cities of Münster and Osnabrück.

Münster – enchantingly old, excitingly young

A fashionable nightspot within mediaeval walls. The Picasso Museum in a Westphalian aristocratic town house. Gems of baroque architecture rubbing shoulders with icons of contemporary building. Over 60 sculptures as reminders of the "skulptur projekte", which every ten years makes Münster a magnet for the art scene. Cosy, traditional pubs, and stylish “in” places in the canal docks area. It is this mix that gives Münster its charm: The combination of venerable history and cosmopolitan modernity.

In 1648, with the Peace of Westphalia, European history was made in Münster's Historic Town Hall; in 1773, the first university in Westphalia was created here - the starting point for today’s science city, with no fewer than 50,000 students.

Why Münster numbers among the "Historic Highlights of Germany" immediately becomes clear on Prinzipalmarkt: Here, the gables of the merchants’ houses create a breathtaking silhouette, while under the arcades below, elegant stores attract people to look and buy. And just around the corner, in the shadow of Münster’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, is the site of the twice-weekly market, one of the loveliest in Europe. The Old Town also provides a wonderful stage setting: from the traditional "Hanseatic Repast" to the Museum Festival, from the Münsterland Giro cycle race to the Marathon run, from cultural events along the city’s river Aa to musical outdoor entertainment on the Promenade.

But amid all the bustle, it is easily possible - especially, in "Germany’s cycling capital", by bike - to find green spaces: On the Promenade, in the Schlossgarten, by the Aasee Lake. And over a delicious latte macchiato, you can then decide: Which of the 30 museums to visit? Take a guided tour in the footsteps of the Anabaptists? Drink a traditional “Altbier” outside the Kiepenkerl tavern or a cocktail down at the Kreativ-Kai (Creative Quay)? Or come back for another visit very soon indeed?

Information: www.tourismus.muenster.de

Osnabrück - City of Peace

Osnabrück's political and cultural life believes in the maxim: "The task of peace – committed to peace". After 5 years of negotiations the "Peace of Westphalia" that ended the Thirty Years' War was proclaimed on the steps of the Town Hall in 1648. Since more than 60 years local children commemorate this event every year with a hobby horse parade.

Nowadays, people still come together where merchants used to meet in the old days: The "Markt" remains the heart of the city and hosts weddings, festivals, wine stands and Christmas markets. Its picturesque flair is formed by the Town Hall of the Peace of Westphalia, the "Stadtwaage", the St Mary's Church, the late Romanesque St Peter's Cathedral and the high gables of the old merchant houses.

Osnabrück is popular for being compact. Whether for sightseeing, shopping, strolling or studying – a good layout and short distances are a plus for all guests. Today Osnabrück (163,000 inhabitants) is the third largest city in Lower Saxony and the only German city situated in a nature reserve. With 1,220 square kilometers the UNESCO Geo Park TERRA.vita is wide open for cycling or hiking tours or for improving your handicap on one of the many golf courses around Osnabrück. Embedded between the Teutoburg Forest and the "Wiehengebirge", the green traces of this nature reserve stretch right into the inner city of Osnabrück.

Osnabrück became widely known amongst literature lovers through the works of one of its own sons, Erich Maria Remarque 1898 – 1970). The Erich-Maria Remarque Peace Center dedicates an exhibition to his life and literary work.

Another of the city's natives is Felix Nussbaum. The artist was born in 1904 in Osnabrück and died in 1944 in Auschwitz. The renowned architect Daniel Libeskind designed the Felix Nussbaum Museum as a special place for Nussbaum's artistic work. The architecture of the building is intended as "rooms against oblivion" and captivates visitors by its unusual interior design.

Osnabrück is member in the network "Historic Highlights of Germany" and spans the gap between past and present.

Information: www.osnabrueck.de