A Little Bit of Summer – What the Whole Year Is All About!
In Münster, Summer is the season with the most rainfall all year around. But don’t worry – despite Münster’s perception as a rain-laden city, Summer is also the season with the highest average of daily sunhours. So enough time to get outside and enjoy the city!
The flowers are in full bloom, the cafés are open again, and it feels like the possibilities are endless. We here at WIRE have compiled a few ideas that you could add to your Münster summer bucket list – does anyone else remember their younger selves writing one at the start of every season with all your weather appropriate to-do’s? No? Just us? Well, it’s never too late to start making your list!
So, in the spirit of the re-openings all across the city and region, we thought it would be a great time to bring back the concept of the bucket list: Münster edition. Whether your favourite form of transportation is by bike, bus, foot, or boat, we hope you can find your preferred way to get out and see what Münster has to offer in the summer while soaking up the sun rays … remember to pack your SPF!
Of course, for the fellows who aren’t (yet) in Münster, most of the following ideas can be carried out in all seasons, whenever and if ever you may be able to pay the city a visit. But as the late author Charles Bowden put it, “Summertime is always the best of what might be”. Who’s ready for another tour?
© Katharina Grohmann
“Either it rains or the church bells ring. And if both occur at the same time, it’s Sunday”
-Old Saying in Münster
Let’s begin with a Trip to the Hafen!
The Hafen (Harbour) is a great spot for a summer evening stroll, with plenty of dining options if you’d like to take a break for food and drink. This area is full of life, culture, and outdoor seating, a perfect combination for those who are looking to get a feel for the city. If you’re looking especially for Münster culture, later in the summer the B-Side at the Hafen will offer events, courses, concerts, and more, depending of course on the updated hygiene guidelines with regards to COVID-19.
If you’re up for it, bring your picnic blanket and some snacks and grab a spot on the grassy banks of the Canal, connected to the Hafen and reaching, seemingly endless, from north to south. Here, you can watch the ships go by while enjoying the collective good mood that always accompanies some outdoor relaxing. If you stay long enough and the conditions are right, you might get a spectacular summer sunset. On particularly hot days when you just need to cool off, jumping in the canal is a popular past time of many Münsteraners … just make sure you know where the nearest ladder is before you leave the land!
For those with a bike and a little time
There is no better time than the summer to take advantage of the “flatness” of Münster via bike tour!
If you enjoy the ease of biking in the city, you will certainly be pleased by the large network of bike paths that are easily reachable after a short journey out of Münster. A quick internet search will reveal the many routes available through the surrounding region, winding through forests, alongside rivers, and past pick-it-yourself strawberry fields. However, if you want navigation in real time, check out the app Komoot, which provides directions for hiking and biking tours of all intensities and durations.
If you’re looking for shorter tours, we can recommend a visit to either the Rieselfelder Münster, a nature preserve and bird sanctuary, or a trip along the Werse, a serene little river on the south-east boundary of the city. Bonus fact: there are canoes and kayaks available for rental and use on the Werse as well, if you’d rather paddle than pedal.
Enjoy a drink at your preferred pop-up beer garden
As you may have seen, there have been a few Beer Gardens “popping up” throughout Münster, mostly on the Promenade. Many, if not all, offer digital ordering and payment through an online menu, saving you from having to wave down the waiter from across the lawn. If you’re hungry, many locations provide the option for you to order food for delivery, direct to your table, from a variety of restaurants. Add live music and some friends to the mix, and the atmosphere can’t be topped!
It’s a very exciting time for the city as people rediscover their favourite restaurants and bars, finally able to connect with friends both old and new. The charming and long-standing establishments of the Old Town and the popular bar-street Kreuzstraße have opened up for business, and whether that means an afternoon coffee in the sun or a fun night enjoying a few drinks, is up to you to decide!
The Aasee – truly enjoyable in every season!
Besides the well-loved route around the Aasee (one lap is 6 kilometers!) the summer offers a variety of ways for you to spend time on the Aasee. Although swimming is neither recommended nor allowed, there are pedal boats or even sail boats available for rental. Just make sure to check the weather forecast for rain before you go, as the pedal boats aren’t exactly built for racing back to the shore in case of a summer storm.
If it’s simply too hot outside to consider powering and steering the boat yourself, you could take a tour on the Solaaris, the first (and possibly only) solar-powered boat in Münster. The boat route makes stops at the Münster all-weather Zoo, the Mühlenhof outdoor museum, and the LWL Museum of Natural History, which includes the city’s Planetarium.
What are you waiting for?
Now, it’s time to leave the screen be and jump outside! Hopefully you have the time and energy this summer to enjoy the city to its fullest extent!