Münster. The city.

Or - an Eifeler (originally Ex-Hessian) on the trail of "Wilsberg".

August 2022. Yesterday it was scorching hot, now it has cooled down and is occasionally rainy. For 3 hours and 6 kilometers, I have been exploring the unfamiliar Münster on foot.

Sorry, but for an Eifeler, this is science fiction here 😂. The last time I saw so many bicycles was in Amsterdam. I also notice that e-bikes/pedelecs are a minority here and there are thousands of bikes lying around that are no longer roadworthy...🙈

About the history:

Since 1915, Münster has been a city, and in 2014 its population exceeded 300,000 for the first time. With 65,000 students (2018), Münster is one of the ten largest university towns in Germany.

In addition, Münster is known for its bicycle-friendly cityscape as a cycling city.

The city is an important service and administrative location and is home to several universities. Important courts and administrative institutions for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia are based in Münster, including the Constitutional Court and the Higher Administrative Court. The former Westphalian provincial capital is now the seat of the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe.

Münster is the seat of a Catholic bishop. In 799, Pope Leo III founded the Diocese of Münster and the dioceses of Osnabrück, Minden and Paderborn during his meeting with Charlemagne. In 805, Saint Liudger was consecrated as the first bishop of Münster in the Cologne Cathedral. Since 2009, Felix Genn has been the bishop.

Münster is known for its partially reconstructed historic old town after World War II.

The Wilsberg antiquarian bookstore "in the midst" of Münster's old town was quickly found. The location transports me a bit to being a silent spectator who secretly listens in on the filming and would like to bring a hot coffee to one of the actors in order to discreetly get an autograph card with a personal dedication...

No film crews there. No wonder, according to the internet, they only come twice a year.

Continuing on to Prinzipalmarkt, where further scenes are regularly shot...

In my mind, I replay a few episodes, preferably with the super sympathetic Rainer Laupichler as an actor, whom I occasionally encounter on a walk and professionally provided with a keen eye🥰...

Münster. In 2004 it was said to have been named the most livable city in the world - since then, it has always ranked high in the rankings. Now I know why. It's a bit of love at first sight. On my exploration tour, I also strolled through narrow streets and saw backyards and less beautiful views - which exist in every larger city. That cannot cloud the impression of a clean city with many green spaces. In the Kuhviertel, I came across a small optician's shop - Meister Michel - fine glasses! Custom-made and the workplace quaintly antiquated directly behind the shop window!! Too bad he was on vacation - I would have liked to watch over his shoulder as a colleague... just a few meters away, a shop with an abundance of bicycle bells😂👍 - in my memory, Münster remains THE German bicycle city No. 1 with a high quality of life - simply lovable!