Münster is a mid-sized, university city in Northwestern Germany with a population of 315 000 inhabitants, at fifth of which are students. It has gained a reputation a Germany’s cycling capital and has been voted the most bicycle-friendly city in Germany. Münster has surely earned its title, as it houses more bicycles than people, with an estimated 1.7 bicycles per person. The city also has one of the most developed cycling networks in the world, and has the highest modal share of cycling in Germany, with around 40 % of all trips taken by bike. (stadt-muenster.de) This modal share rivals, that of the famous cycling cities of Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
What makes Münster such a great cycling city?
Great cycling infrastructure
A dense network of high quality dedicated bikeways is spread throughout the city of Münster and it’s surrounding area. The routes are designed to minimize contact between bicycles and cars, which greatly contributes to traffic safety. Cycling is also highly ingrained in the local culture, and both cyclists and drivers are generally aware of the traffic rule. The city has also implemented bicycle-specific traffic lights, which minimize unnecessary stops and makes cycling simple, comfortable and safe. The traffic rules are also enforced better than in most cities. (stadt-muenster.de)
Perhaps the most notable piece of cycling infrastructure the city has to offer is the promenade, which is a park-like cycling and walking route, which encircles the center of Münster. The promenade acts as a ring road, and effectively connects the cycling network into a coherent system. The beautiful scenery surrounding the route encourages it’s use and greatly amplifies the overall enjoyment of being outside. A significant factor that is often overlooked when discussing the factors that effect peoples willingness to commute by bike of by foot, is the effect of the general beauty and coziness of the city. A city filled with grey rectangular concrete blocks encourages people to block out their surroundings by enclosing themself in a car. Making the cities livable and pleasant is something that Münster alongside many of the greatest cycling cities in the world has done right.
The cycling infrastructure in Münster is well integrated with the public transport network. People are in general allowed to bring their bicycles on trains, and bicycle parking is readily available.
University city
Münster’s status as a major university city also has a major positive effect on the popularity of cycling. Cycling is a form of transport favored by students due to it being very inexpensive and practical. The city is home to the University of Münster and many other major institutes of higher education, including a medical school, police academy, and several schools of applied sciences. There are some 60 000 students studying in Münster. 43 000 students study at the University of Münster alone. This is among the highest ratios of university students of any German cities. The number of students living in the city is somewhat smaller, since the figures include a significant amount of people who commute from the surrounding area. (fintiba.com; stadt-muenster.de)
Favorable geography and climate
Although I think attributing the popularity of cycling to simplistic factors like geography and climate is wrong, their roles in encouraging cycling still have to be considered. Münster is located in the southwestern part of Germany near the Dutch border, a relatively flat part of the country with mild weather. Münster is a part of a cross-border region called EUREGIO, which includes parts of Germany and the Netherlands. This region includes the cities of Münster, Osnabrück, and Gronau on the German side and the cities of Enschede and Hengelo on the Dutch side. The region has it’s own administration and has a significant effect on the development of it’s area. It would thus make sense that the city of Münster would have adopted some Dutch practices, which might include some cycling-related policies. (wikipedia.org)
Leisure cycling
For those for whom cycling is more than a means of transport, the area surrounding Münster, called Münsterland, offer great cycling paths for leisure cycling. The area of Münsterland host 4 500 kilometers of cycle paths as well as calm roads for road for road cyclist to ride on outside of the city center. The areas outside of the city center are dominated by farmland and fields, with calm quality roads on relatively flat terrain, perfect for road cycling or touring.
Additionally, the Münsterland area hosts more than a hundred castles, manors, and mansion, alongside several churches and other historical sites. The most well known cycle path in the are is known as the 100 Castles Route, which is a 960 km long cycling route which can be divided into several shorter sections. The route is typically divided into shorter sections, which can be completed in a day or a few. (muensterland.com)
Published on December 11th 2024
Written by the Cycling Philosopher
Literature
stadt-muenster.de, Münster – 1.67 bicycles per head, stadt-muenster.de, referenced 8.12.2024
fintiba.com, Top 10 German cities to live in for students, fintiba.com, referenced 9.12.2024
wikipedia.org, Münster, wikipedia.org, referenced 9.12.2024
muensterland.com, To the treasure in the Münsterland – 100 Castles Route, muensterland.com, referenced 11.12.2024
Image sources
leo.laempel (2010), Prinzipalmarkt Münster. flickr.com, CC BY-ND 2.0
Rüdiger Wölk (2006), Muenster Promenade 8825.jpg, wikimedia.org, CC BY-SA 2.5
NordhornerII (2013), Muenster’s parking building for bicycles.jpg, wikimedia.org, CC BY-SA 3.0
Rüdiger Wölk (2006), Muenster Fahrradschleuse 4287.jpg, wikimedia.org, CC BY-SA 2.5
