Munster is the centre of Westphalia in northwestern Germany, and the Peace of Westphalia that ended the Thirty Years War was signed here in 1648, in the Hall of Peace of the historic town hall. The city lost most of its centre in the Second World War, but the arcaded facades of the Prinzipalmarkt were rebuilt to their original plan. Students now make up about a sixth of the population, and the city leads Germany for bicycles per head, with the old ramparts around the centre turned into a cycling ring called the Promenade.
Looking for cheap flights or monthly payment flight packages to Munster?
Suso is a travel-planning platform that turns your Munster trip from Turkey into a buy now, pay later flight package: the ticket is issued by travel agencies, booking sites or airlines, and the payment plan runs on consumer credit from partner finance institutions. One click in the basket completes the purchase and the financing together; you pay over 3 to 24 months. No credit card limit needed.
See flights to Munster →When to visit Munster
May to September is the easiest stretch, with daytime temperatures between 18C and 24C and the Aasee shore and the Promenade cycling ring in full use. Rain is spread through the year, so a rain jacket makes sense whatever the season. In December five separate Christmas markets run at once in the centre, all within walking distance of each other, while January to March is cool and wet.
Things to do in Munster
Prinzipalmarkt
The arcaded merchant houses along the main street, with their gabled fronts and ground floor passages, are the emblem of Munster. The facades were rebuilt to their original proportions after the war, and the passage under the arches makes the street walkable end to end in the rain.
St Paul's Cathedral
Completed in the 13th century, the cathedral carries Romanesque and Gothic forms together and is the largest building in the city. The astronomical clock of 1540 in its south transept shows the positions of the planets and runs a procession of kings at midday, with a dial that turns anticlockwise.
Historic Town Hall
Inside the 14th century Gothic building on the Prinzipalmarkt, the Hall of Peace is the room where the Spanish and Dutch part of the 1648 Peace of Westphalia was signed. The wood panelled chamber survives with its original fittings, and portraits of the envoys who took part hang on its walls.
St Lamberti Church
Three iron cages hang from the 90 metre tower of this late Gothic church of the 15th century, the cages in which the bodies of the Anabaptist leaders executed in 1536 were displayed, and they have stayed in place ever since. A watchman still serves in the tower and sounds a horn in the evenings.
Muhlenhof Open Air Museum
On the west shore of the Aasee, the museum is made up of more than thirty historic buildings moved here from the Westphalian countryside: a windmill, farmhouses, a schoolhouse and a bakery. Founded in 1961, it sits on the walking ring around the lake, whose water is used for rowing and sailing in summer.
Munster Palace
The baroque palace built for the prince bishops between 1767 and 1787 to Johann Conrad Schlaun's design is now the main building of the University of Munster. The baroque garden behind it and the botanical garden are open to the public, the latter run by the university since 1803.
Flights from Turkey to Munster
Direct flights to Munster from Turkey leave from Antalya, operated by Pegasus, Corendon Airlines and SunExpress, and take about 4 hours. Munster Osnabruck Airport lies roughly 25 kilometres northeast of the city near Greven. From Istanbul the route is to fly into Dusseldorf or Frankfurt and continue by train, about an hour and a half from Dusseldorf.
Munster FAQ
How many days do you need in Munster?
Two days cover the centre, the cathedral and the Hall of Peace. Adding the Westphalian moated castle route and Osnabruck stretches the trip to three or four days, and hiring a bicycle in town shortens the distances noticeably.
How far is the airport from the city centre?
Munster Osnabruck Airport is about 25 kilometres from the centre, roughly 30 minutes by car. An airport bus runs straight into town, timed around the flight schedule.
Do you need a visa for Germany?
Germany is in the Schengen area and a Turkish passport needs a Schengen visa obtained in advance. Appointments get harder to find in summer, so it is safer to start the application at least two months before travel.
Buy now, pay later flights to Munster
Fly now, pay later. Plan your trip, pay over up to 24 months. One click at checkout sets up the plan, no credit card limit needed.
Search flights to Munster →