Prinzipalmarkt, Münster

The Prinzipalmarkt in Münster is a curved, arcaded street of Gothic step-gabled merchant houses that has served as the city's commercial and civic centre since the 14th century, rebuilt after wartime destruction to closely match its historic appearance. Covered arcades running along the ground floor of the buildings provided shelter for merchants and shoppers for centuries and remain a defining feature of the street today, lined with shops, cafés, and restaurants. The Rathaus, or town hall, midway along the street, is where the Peace of Westphalia was negotiated and signed in 1648, ending the Thirty Years' War, and its historic Hall of Peace remains open to visitors. A walk along the full length of the Prinzipalmarkt, including a look inside the Rathaus, takes about thirty to forty-five minutes, though the street is easily combined with a longer visit to Münster's cathedral and old town nearby. The street's Saturday market, held on the adjoining square, draws large crowds of shoppers and is one of the best weekly markets in the region, while weekday visits offer a calmer view of the architecture itself. The gabled facades are most photogenic from the street's slight curve looking back toward the Lambertikirche's spire, which rises above the rooftops at one end.