Munster's Historical Buildings Walking Tour (Self Guided), Munster

The centuries-long history of Munster, set in stone, is still very much alive. The carefully restored ancient homes, churches, and other – sometimes peculiar – pieces of architecture, abounding the city, “tell” the tales of its past rather eloquently, all the while setting a stage that makes every visit to Munster an exciting experience.

The reconstruction of the local Old Town, contrary to that of many other German cities destroyed during WWII, followed the original cityscape, preserving almost fully (in their medieval entirety) the promenade ring and the charming Prinzipalmarkt street.

The latter, one of the oldest thoroughfares in the city, not widened after the war, is still lined with numerous gabled houses joined together by an arcade. Many of these buildings were created by Johann Conrad Schlaun, including the landmark Town Hall (1767-1773) and the Erbdrostenhof palace (1755), often regarded as his masterpiece.

Among other historical structures of note is the Zwinger tower, located on the promenade since 1528, formerly used as a prison and now housing a memorial. Another one, also on the promenade (in its northern part), is the Buddenturm tower, a remnant of the 12th-century city fortifications. The Krameramtshaus, built in 1589, is one of the oldest guild houses in Münster, well worth checking out as well.

The majority of the architecturally-important locations of Münster are comfortably located within a walking distance from each other and, thus, can be easily reached on foot, especially by those armed with the self-guided GPSmyCity app. If you still haven't got one, consider adding it to your mobile as soon as possible and explore the city without getting lost!