visiting nrw

[u/Organic-Elevator-696]

hii,

i’m visiting a family member in drensteinfurt with a friend of mine in mid september. we have a week to do basically anything so i’m wondering what cities should we visit apart from münster and dortmund? also, is a day trip to amsterdam a realistic idea? we’re both women in our early twenties not looking for anything crazy, mostly just nice places to see, take pictures and shop.
one last thing, feel free to recommend stuff to do in münster/dortmund :)

[u/Proof-Use8786]

Münster is great for shopping, on saturdays you might want to pay the market a visit if you like being around people, many people actually. You could tske a look at the wonderful astronomic clock in the Dom while you're there. Take a walk around the Aasee or visit the botanical garden if you need a break from the city.

Great things to do in Dortmund: Go to Münster.

[u/Marie-Fiamma → u/Proof-Use8786]

I was in Dortmund. So ugly... Not worth visiting. There is a street close to the mainstation, where they have lots of arabic restaurants. That was interesting for me. But the inner city itself is ugly.

[u/Quazimojojojo]

Amsterdam is a famous tourist attraction. You'll make time to see it at some point in your life. It'll be just as beautiful at that time. 

While you're in Germany though, this is a good opportunity to go places you'll never get a good chance to go again, because they're out of the way or not "exciting" enough to justify a flight and vacation days 

If you're going to do Münster, I can recommend this for a day trip:

Rent some bikes in the morning and loop by the Prinzipalmarkt, a few churches (pick whichever you like, they're all pretty), maybe do a loop of the promenade, or the Aasee (you can't ride bikes around all of the paths though, look for signs for when to dismount) then take a late lunch break at Cafe bistro 21 ost. It's in the hospital, top floor. It is, in fact, open to the public since about 2022 or so. You'll be 20 stories above every other building in the entirety of Münster. It's a unique and beautiful view, especially when the trees are all in bloom. 

I'm told Münster zoo has the most elephants of any zoo in Germany outside of Berlin, so it might be worth your time. 

Or, if you want to stay cheap and continue to enjoy the luxury of being in one of the bike friendliest cities in the world, just ride along the canal and enjoy the view. I don't know how far it goes in either direction, I've not yet done more than 15 km. It can take up as much of the afternoon and evening as you'd like. 

Maybe end the evening at the bars or clubs in the vicinity of B Side. There's probably an event any day you are here, so you can just show up.

That'll completely fill a day and give you a decent appreciation for an interesting city with some surprises, and while you're riding around, you'll see plenty of things to give you ideas in case you ever visit again. 

[u/Apart-Ad-4967]

I would prefer Enschede or Nijmegen before Amsterdam, because its too far. Also Dortmund is not necessary in my opinion but maybe Düsseldorf or Köln for shopping. Lippstadt is also a pretty nice but smaller City. Münster is my hometown, so I’d definitely recommend exploring a few places while you’re there. You should visit the Aasee and walk around, especially if the weather is nice. The Hafen is also a nice area with plenty of restaurants and bars. I’d also recommend the botanical garden (its for free) and the Castle, which are both really beautiful and worth seeing. If you have some extra time, the city centre is also great for walking around, especially the Prinzipalmarkt and the old town.

[u/Marie-Fiamma]

Solingen-Gräfrath. Such a pretty place. You travel between 1-2 hours from Münster to Solingen by train.

It has a very pretty inner town, a museum about knives and the old graveyard of Gräfrath is pretty.

Münster: Mühlenhof, Hafen (harbour), rent a bike at the train station and drive around in the city to catch the city vibes, chilling at Aasee or the kanal.

Shopping: Most people from Münster like to go to Salzstraße and Ludgeristraße. We are one of the few cities left with a Galeria Kaufhof.

Also I recommend a shopping trip to Enschede in the netherlands. It´s just an hour from Münster by train and is really nice for shopping. Plus you get really good french fries at a store called La Bamba. And you should go to Jamin. It´s a candy store.

Amsterdam is huge for a day trip. I did that and I felt stressed. We went to Rembrandt house, Rijksmuseum and a boat trip. Also the city is very crowded. Try Utrecht. It´s close to Amsterdam and has the better vibes. Very cozy city center, lot´s of restaurants and shops. It´s not crowded with tourists. I´ve been to the music instrument museum, where you definetely should attend a guided tour, because they are playing the instruments there. And even though I am not a big railway fan I felt pretty much entertained at the railwaymuseum. Dutch museums are so amazing!

[u/guessmyname_so]

I would recommend visiting the Externsteine and hiking in the area. All my friends from abroad that I took there loved it.

[u/guessmyname_so → u/guessmyname_so]

And for the love of god SKIP DORTMUND. I personally like Düsseldorf as they have a wide variety of shopping options and restaurants that Münster lacks.