10 little known facts about Münster

Here are ten facts about the city that you may not have known before!

1. Münster is home to 280,000 residents, including 55,000 students enrolled in six universities and colleges.

2. Münster is known as the ‘Bicycle Capital of Germany’. With 500,000 bicycles registered in Münster, there are almost two bikes per resident! Germany’s first bicycle park is directly in front of the main train station, with 3500 parking spaces, a bike rental office, and a repair shop. Münster also introduced the skateboard to Germany in the 1970s.

3. As you may expect from a place that is known for its love of bicycles, Münster is a very ‘green’ city. This accolade has been reflected in the many international awards that the city has won – in 2004 Münster was named “The World’s Most Livable City” by the UN’s Environmental Program and in 2006, it was crowned by “Deutsche Umwelthilfe” (‘German Environment Aid’) as the “National Climate Protection Capital” for the second time. In 2005, the city won a further award for its climate protection projects as the first large German city to receive the coveted European Energy Award Gold Medal.

4. Münster is named after the monastary around which it grew, founded in the year 793. The city played an important part in the Reformation, when the Anabaptists waged war in the 1500s. Europe’s Thirty Years War was ended with a treaty signed here.

5. Münster is often called the ‘Land of 100 moated castles’. The city and its surrounding area, as the titles suggests, is home to 100 castles, all of which are linked up by the bike path ‘100 Schlösser Route’.

6. Münster has its own airport, with international flights. Currently, you can fly direct from London Stansted to Münster with Air Berlin.

7. Hollywood actress Franka Potente was born in Münster!

8. Münster is home to more than 800 pubs, bars and restaurants, 22 museums and 6 cinemas. There are also an array of theatres showing regular plays and performances.

9. The city has forged nine twinning relationships since 1957.  Cities that are twinned with Münster include York (England), Orléans (France), Kristiansand (Norway), Monastir (Tunisia), Rishon LeZion (Israel) and Fresno (USA).

10. Münster was home to famous German poet and author Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797 – 1848). She was born at “Burg Hülshoff” (Castle Hülshoff), just outside Münster. In later years, she lived in “Haus Rüschhaus“ in the Nienberge district of the city.

More about German courses in Münster