Münster is located in northern Germany. Besides being known as a bicycle city due to its high population of cyclists, Münster is also home to a large student community, with around 40,000 students attending its major university. Although the city was severely damaged by bombings during World War II, its gradual reconstruction has transformed Münster into a modern city while still preserving some of its historic buildings.
Two weeks ago, after a spontaneous decision (as usual), we decided to spend the weekend in Münster, Germany. Why Münster? Well, we had a few options at first. Initially, we considered Texel, then switched to another island nearby. However, both were equally expensive due to the cost of the ferry and the hotels there. And since we were only planning a weekend getaway, we wanted something more affordable. Think of it as a winter vacation. We usually stay in Airbnbs, but it seems that we’ll be opting for hotels more often in the future. Then, I came up with the idea: why not Münster? It’s not too far from where we live, and the city seemed pleasant—not too crowded. We left on Friday afternoon after visiting the municipal office to get our ID cards and doing our weekly grocery shopping. By the time we arrived in Münster, it was already 7 PM. Before checking in, we stopped at a Greek restaurant for dinner. It was my first time eating at a Greek restaurant, and I must say, the food was quite delicious.
The hotel we stayed at was located right in the city center, more specifically in Prinzipalmarkt, Münster’s main shopping district. After settling in, we went to bed at 8 PM. This trip was really relaxed, and considering our age, going to bed early at 8 PM seemed perfectly fine. Usually, we don’t go to bed until 10 PM!
The next morning, after breakfast at the hotel, we headed out to explore. It was still quite early—9 AM—and the temperature was only 3°C (37°F), freezing cold. When I checked the weather forecast back home, it showed sunshine and temperatures above 5°C (41°F). I immediately wished I could return to the warmth! But as the saying goes, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” So, we strolled casually without even looking at a map. According to the information we had, the interesting spots weren’t far from the hotel. Our first stop was the large market held every Wednesday and Saturday. This famous market, known as Wochenmarkt Münster (Münster’s Weekly Market), is located at Domplatz and operates from 7 AM to 2:30 PM. We were lucky to visit on a market day. For some reason, I’ve always enjoyed visiting markets, especially since living in the Netherlands. One thing’s for sure, the market was neither muddy nor dirty.
After that, we also stopped by the Cathedral. After wandering around for three hours, we decided to return to the hotel for a midday rest. This was the first time we’d ever taken a midday break and returned to the hotel during a trip! Truly a relaxed holiday, haha. Around 3 PM, we continued exploring. As I mentioned earlier, Münster is a bicycle city, so it felt quite similar to cities in the Netherlands. Not every city in Germany is as bike-friendly due to the terrain, which is different from the flat landscape of the Netherlands.
I know some bloggers who live in Germany, and through them, I’ve learned that Germans can be quite sensitive about being photographed without permission. So, I was very careful when taking pictures, trying to shoot when the area was empty or from a distance. I didn’t want to get into trouble! Because of this, I didn’t take many photos.
We returned to the Netherlands at 9 AM on Sunday. Upon arriving, as per our usual post-travel ritual (if you can call it that), we headed straight to Pempek Elysha. This isn’t a promotion, haha, but I always rely on this place because we never have food stocked at home after a trip. So, we either eat there or take food home. It’s also conveniently close to our house, so it’s a lifesaver when we’re hungry.
We called this weekend winter getaway a “test drive” for our upcoming real vacation. Where are we headed next? Stay tuned—there’s a story waiting for you in the next blog post!