Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [524]
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Information
There are several banks in the centre, including a Sparkasse in the Münster Arkaden.
Poertgen Herder ( 490 140; Salzstrasse 56) Good selection of English books.
Post office (Domplatz; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-2pm Sat) There’s another branch at the Hauptbahnhof.
Raphaelsklinik ( 500 70; Loerstrasse 23) Medical services.
Stadtbücherei ( 492 4242; Alter Steinweg 11; per hr €0.50; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat) Public library with internet access, international newspapers and magazines, and clean toilets.
Tourist office ( 492 2710; www.tourismus.muenster.de; Heinrich-Brüning-Strasse 9; 9.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-1pm Sat) Main office.
Tourist office Historisches Rathaus ( 492 2724; Prinzipalmarkt 10; 10am-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun)
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Sights
DOM ST PAUL
The two massive towers of Münster’s cathedral, Dom St Paul (Domplatz; 6.30am-6pm Mon-Sat, 6.30am-7.30pm Sun), match the proportions of this 110m-long structure and the vast square it overlooks. It’s a three-nave construction built at a time when Gothic architecture began overtaking the Romanesque style in popularity. Enter from Domplatz via the porch (called the ‘Paradise’), richly festooned with sculptures of the apostles. Inside, pay your respects to the statue of St Christopher, the patron saint of travellers, then make your way to the southern ambulatory with its astronomical clock. This marvel of 16th-century ingenuity indicates the time, the position of the sun, the movement of the planets, and the calendar. Crowds gather daily at noon (12.30pm Sunday) when the carillon starts up.
The Domkammer (cathedral treasury; 495 333; admission €1; 11am-4pm Tue-Sun), which is reached via the cloisters, counts an 11th-century, gem-studded golden head reliquary of St Paul among its finest pieces.
AROUND DOMPLATZ
Northwest of the Dom, the Überwasserkirche (officially known as Liebfrauenkirche) is a 14th-century Gothic hall church with handsome stained-glass windows. The nickname was inspired by its location right by the Aa, a tiny stream whose tree-lined promenade makes for relaxed strolling.
Many of the sculptures purged from the churches by the Anabaptists miraculously ended up at the Westfälisches Landesmuseum (Regional Museum; 590 701; Domplatz 10; admission varies; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun). The collection here spans from the Middle Ages to the latest avant-garde creations and, not surprisingly, is especially strong when it comes to regional masters, most famously the painter Conrad von Soest. Fans of August Macke and other expressionists will get their fill on the 2nd floor.
One of the 20th century’s most famous artists gets the spotlight at the Graphikmuseum Pablo Picasso ( 414 4710; www.graphikmuseum-picasso-muenster.de; Königsstrasse 5; adult/concession/family €8/6/12; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun), the first German museum dedicated to the Spanish artist. Changing exhibits are drawn from the collection of some 800 graphic works, including a near complete series of Picasso’s lithographs.
PRINZIPALMARKT
The most interesting street in Münster’s Altstadt is the Prinzipalmarkt, lined by restored Patrician town houses with arcades sheltering elegant boutiques and cafes. The key building here is the Gothic Historisches Rathaus, with its elegant filigree gable. In 1648, an important subtreaty of the Peace of Westphalia was signed here, marking the first step in ending the calamitous Thirty Years War. You can visit the splendidly wood-carved hall where the historic moment took place; it’s called the Friedenssaal (Hall of Peace; 492 2724; Prinzipalmarkt 8-9; adult/concession €1.50/1; 10am-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun). As you exit, the beautifully porticoed Renaissance building on your right is the Stadtweinhaus (City Wine House). It was once used for wine storage and is now a tourist-geared restaurant.
Continue north on from the Stadtweinhaus to soon arrive at one of