Münster Old Town & Cathedral

Münster's Altstadt was almost entirely rebuilt after the destruction of the Second World War, reconstructed to closely follow its medieval street plan and gabled architecture, and today centres on the twin-towered St Paul's Cathedral overlooking the Domplatz. The Romanesque-Gothic cathedral, largely dating from the 13th century, houses an elaborate astronomical clock from 1540 whose figures perform a short mechanical display at noon, drawing a small daily crowd beneath the clock face. Beyond the cathedral, the old town's arcaded streets, most famously the Prinzipalmarkt, lead past gabled merchant houses to the historic Rathaus, where the Peace of Westphalia was signed in 1648. Münster is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Germany, and many visitors explore the compact centre and the surrounding Promenade ring road, a former fortification line now a tree-lined cycling and walking path, on a rented bike. A visit taking in the cathedral, old town streets, and a stretch of the Aasee lake typically fills two to three hours. Saturday mornings bring the city's excellent weekly market to the Domplatz, adding both crowds and atmosphere, while weekday visits are calmer for photographing the cathedral facade and the surrounding gabled buildings. The astronomical clock's noon performance is worth timing a visit around, and the cathedral's cloister garden offers a quieter corner away from the main tourist flow.