Day 12: Bremen – Münster

by bretzelitos

After a great breakfast and a short swim in the PARKHOTEL outdoor pool, we checked out and walked the short distance to the Central train station of Bremen.

Today’s direct connection by Intercity train brought us in a bit more than one hours traveltime to the city of Münster. We have chosen this place as we wanted to learn more about the ‘Westphalian Peace treaty’ from 1648 which ended the 30-years-war in Central Europe. We have learnt quite a lot about it via several documentaries in ARTE television, however, seeing the sites in person is always somehow more touching and lets visitors understand the issues, the history, the success and the loss of war and land much better.

After checking in our hotel KAISERHOF just opposite of the Central train station in Münster, we took a walk into the city center of Münster to see the ‘Friedenssaal’, the place in the old town hall where the peace treaty was actually signed 373 years ago. You can really feel the history made in this building – with all paintings of the participants distributed in the room – Swedish, Spanish, French, Dutch, Roman Empire, Venetian, Bohemian, Bavarian, Clerical representants from both sides, etc.

We continued in Münster’s Stadtmuseum to gather more information about this period of history – and to learn more about the city that was also part of the Hanse.

For dinner, we have been looking around as we did not want to reserve any special place. Eventually, we found a Peruvian restaurant called ‘La Costanera’, located beautifully in a little side path next to the river Aa. What we did not know – it was the National holiday of Peru and loads of Peruvians gathered there to have dinner, drinks and fun. We enjoyed a lot our Spanish speaking company and stayed until close to midnight before returning to our hotel by taxi.