Stadt Munster (Germany North Rhine-Westphalia)

Stadt Munster is a Munstersche Aa River/Ems River cruise port and Kreisfreie Stadt (district-free/independent city) in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state (Munster region, Urban district), with population over 300,000. between 1815 and 1946, the city was the capital of Prussia's Westphalia province. Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr region) is Germany's largest metro area with population around 4,5 million. Some of Ruhrgebiet's largest cities are also in close proximity to Munster - including Herne and Bochum (55-60 km southwest), Dortmund (60 km south), Gelsenkirchen (60 km southwest), Osnabruck (45 km north), Hamm (35 km south), Bielefeld (60 km east).

Munster is one of Germany's largest university cities, housing between 55-65,000 students. Munstersche Aa River is a tributary of Ems River, with total length approx 43 km (27 mi). Aa begins near Havixbeck, flows southeast to Munster, then turns north and in Greven flows into Ems River. Munster is approx 15 km (10 mi) south of the confluence of Aa and Ems. Enschede (Holland) is approx 65 km (40 mi) to the northeast.

The settlement (as Mimigernaford) was established in the 6th century AD as a ford over Munstersche Aa (after which was named in the 8th century). It received city status in the late-12th-century (1170) when were also built its fortifications (4-km long city wall reinforced in the 14th century with additional fortifications). During the Middle Ages, Munster was Westphalia's largest city. The city is sparsely populated (has a low population density / ~1000 inhabitants per km2) due to many rural areas (incorporated in the years 1875, 1903, 1956, 1975). Around 50% of the urban area is used for agriculture. The urban area is divided into 6 districts (Middle/historical downtown, North, East, West, South-East, Hiltrup).

Among the city's most popular tourist attractions are its old cathedrals and churches, including St Mauritz (11th century), St Martini (12th), Alt St Clemens (12th), St-Paulus-Dom (13th), St Ludgeri (13th), St Servatii (13th), Apostelkirche (13th), Liebfrauen-Uberwasser (14th), St Lamberti (14th), Petrikirche (16th), Dominikanerkirche and St Aegidii (early-18th), Clemenskirche (mith-18th), as well as the early-20th-century-built (Herz-Jesu-Kirche, Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, Heilig-Geist-Kirche, St Joseph, St Antonius, St Clemens). The city also has several major museums, including Archaologisches (archeology), Bibelmuseum (Bible), Geologisch-Palaontologisches (geology), Graphikmuseum Pablo Picasso, Kunsthaus Kannen (alternative arts), Lackkunst (lacquer art), Lepramuseum (leprosy), LWL-Landesmuseum fur Kunst und Kulturgeschichte (art and culture), LWL-Museum fur Naturkunde (natural history), Mineralogisches (minerology), Muhlenhof-Freilichtmuseum (open-air), Porzellanmuseum (porcelain), Villa ten Hompel (Nazi crimes), Westfalisches Pferdemuseum (horses/at the Zoo).

As cruise port, Munster was first included in the schedule of Nicko Cruises (fleet/ subsidiary of Mystic Cruises) with the riverboat Katharina von Bora. Next tables show Nicko's 7-night/8-day cruisetour itineraries of the ship.

7-night Potsdam to Munster

7-night Munster to Potsdam

Prices in 2021 started from EUR 1300 (USD 1580) per person with double occupancy.