Liveable Muenster, the Pearl of Westphalia
The city's attractiveness was demonstrated in 2004: it achieved the LivCom Award, 2004, for the most liveable city in the world in the category of cities with 200,000 to 750,000 inhabitants. Criteria such as dealing with heritage, landscape design, ecology and family-friendliness were evaluated.
It truly is a phenomenon. No matter where the road through Muenster leads you, a Westphalian idyll and urban life are perfectly combined. One can experience this exceptional city at every step.
The combination of tradition and youthful enthusiasm characterises its lifestyle, as does the balance of medieval gabled houses and avant-garde architecture, or the juxtaposition of dark beer taverns and trendy restaurants.
From the coexistence between the worlds of pumpernickel and the Prinzipal Market, research and technology, Westphalian stubbornness and student openness emerges a dynamic process of mutual inspiration. (THE MUENSTER BOOK)
Muenster is characterised by 50,000 students, the third-largest university in Germany, the numerous bicycles (called "Leezen" in Muenster), an incredible number of churches, the all-weather zoo, fantastic museums (like the Picasso Museum or the State Museum) and fantastic art galleries, such as FB 69. One can enjoy art and culture in Muenster. The international scene meets in Muenster every ten years for the Sculpture Project, where one can discover exhibitors throughout the city. The theatre scene, from the Boulevard to Off-Theatre with high-calibre guest artists in an international programme is unique to a city of this size.
Wonderful places invite souls to parties, such as the Aasee, the Castle with its botanical garden. The Promenade runs as a green belt around the Old Town (Altstadt), colourful stands can be found in one of the most beautiful weekly markets in Germany at the St. Paulus Cathedral every Wednesday and Saturday. One can stroll and shop at the Prinzipal Market with beautiful shops and Muenster's many pubs. Also, the harbour area is interesting with its many bars, pubs and restaurants.
One can say that Muenster is crisscrossed by beautiful cafes and restaurants which are so diverse that there is something for every taste. Whether hearty Westphalian food, such as in the "Alten Gasthaus Leve" or authentic Italian cuisine such as in the Mocca d'or/Fiu or San Marco, there's something for every taste.
I have always enjoyed
those who love good Westphalia,
a people so solid, so secure, so faithful,
without glare or bragging.
They fight well, drink well,
and when they reach out their hand
for the bond of friendship,
they cry;
they are sentimental oak trees.
Heinrich Heine, fragments from: Ein Wintermärchen (A Winter's Tale), 1844