Münster

Münster the lively city of peace, science, learning and…bicycles. This could be a simple description of the city. It is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia with about 300.000 inhabitants and around 58.000 students. Münster is one of the biggest student cities in Germany. But what makes this city so attractive for people, especially for students?
Let’s have a closer look at the city, it has much to offer!

University

The westfälische Wilhems-University (WWU) is one of Germany’s largest universities. It his highly reputable and one of the 10 best universities in Germany. The broad range of subject opportunities and the diverse research profile as well as the overall atmosphere make the university to an attraction for many young people. A special feature of the university is the campus, it doesn’t really have one main campus. There are several buildings spread throughout the city. Students can have a lecture in the famous castle (Münster Schloss) and then a seminar directly next to the city centre for example. The location varies usually according to the field of study. That’s why almost every student rides a bicycle. It is a common and easy means of transportation in Münster. No wonder why this city is so lively, students are always active and cruise around!

Germany’s cycling capital

But not only students ride bicycles, it is used by everyone on a daily basis. Cyclists enjoy special privileges in Münster. There are bicycle roads where cyclists take precedence over cars and sometimes the space for bicycles on a street is much bigger than the pedestrian zone. According to votes by ADAC (German Automobile Association) and the AFDC (German Cyclist’s Federation) Münster has been voted Germany’s most bicycle-friendly city. It is estimated that there are 500.000 bicycles in Münster. This is even more than the population itself! So get on your bike and drive along the wonderful Aasee and through the beautiful promenade!

Aasee 

Aasee is a small lake and probably the meeting place for all students especially during the summer semester term when the weather is nice. Students love to sit on the grass with something to nibble and a cold drink (this might be beer as is often the case). It’s a good place to have a barbecue as well. Alternatively, it is also possible to sit in the cafés with a beautiful view on the lake and a nice service. If this gets too boring and you want to be more active, go for a paddleboat round with your friends on the lake!

Cafés 

Münster is known for its many beautiful and vintage cafés that are highly visited by students. Wherever you are in Münster, you’ll always find a nice and warm place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee with your friends. Students often meet up in their free periods between their timetable in one of these artistically designed cafés:

Theatre, Music, Art and co. 

Münster’s cultural life is rich and diverse. There are 27 museums and exhibition halls for art, art history, science and technology. The two most popular ones are the Pablo Picasso Museum  and the LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur. If you are a fan of theatre, Münster has 40 theatres and theatre groups with a wide spectrum of different plays! Visit this website to see all theaters and their programs: https://www.muenster.de/theater.html. Moreover, Münster is home for the so called “Sculpture projects“, the most important international exhibitions of contemporary art displayed in the public sphere. Each decade, international artists examine the relation between art, public space and urban environment and develop new works in Münster. The city offers much musical as well: lots of orchestras, groups, choirs and bands, which often give free concerts. In June 2017 for example, the well known singer Passenger gave a free concert on the Domplatz!

Send

Send is the one of the biggest funfair in North-Rhine Westphalia with about one million visitors per year. It takes place three times a year, in late spring, summer and autumn, lasts mostly 4-8 days and is directly in front of the university castle (Schlossplatz). It gives students a variety in their daily student life and is super easy to visit since it is in the university centre!

Want to learn about Münster? See here!