Whether it's a cultural experience in the Museum Quarter and the City Hall of the Peace of Westphalia, hiking through the nature park in the city or relaxed browsing along the shop windows in the old town: in Osnabrück you can feel the breath of history.
Whether you travel by car or by train, you can arrive in Osnabrück in a relaxed manner. After checking in, it's best to go straight on a short city tour of Osnabrück's old town. Start at the market square, which is framed by some of Osnabrück's most important and beautiful buildings, such as the Westphalian Peace City Hall. The golden door handle in the shape of a peace dove gives you access to the Peace Hall. Take a seat on the wooden benches and feel the breath of history: this is where the delegates sat in 1648 to negotiate the end of the 30 Years War and the future of Europe. On the Square of the Peace of Westphalia stands the Citizens' Fountain, designed by Osnabrück artist Hans Gerd Ruwe. In about 1,200 details, the fountain tells about 1,200 years of city history.
On Friday evening at 9 pm the Night watchman on a special tour through the old town. You will carry little lanterns and hear scary stories about Osnabrück and its citizens. Afterwards, you can end the day on one of the many inviting terraces on the market square or in the adjacent alleys. From the traditional brewery to the organic Italian, from fine dining to the oriental bistro: here you will find culinary fulfillment for every taste and budget.
Do as the locals do and start your Saturday at the weekly market right by the cathedral. Here you shop, meet people, drink coffee, protected by the statue of the Osnabrück jurist, man of letters, historian and statesman Justus Möser, who would have celebrated his 300th birthday this year. On we go to the Diocesan Museum of the Diocese of Osnabrück. Spectacular: The cathedral treasure is located in a room that rests as if on pillars in a larger room of the south wing and can be accessed via two bridges. The exhibition picks up on typical Osnabrück themes such as cathedral archaeology and the distinctive Karl tradition.
After a walk through the Heger Gate district with houses from many eras, boutiques, art shops and gastronomy you walk through the Heger Gate directly to the Museum Quarter. The Felix Nussbaum House was designed by the American star architect Daniel Libeskind especially for the presentation of the life and work of the Osnabrück painter Felix Nussbaum. Here you can see not only the works of Nussbaum, who was murdered in Auschwitz in 1944, but also corresponding temporary exhibitions.
Stroll along Bierstraße and Krahnstraße to Redlinger Straße. You can expect coffee roasters, culinary delights as well as Boutiques and stores. The Adolf Reichwein Square is particularly suitable for a short break; many deck chairs and seating areas invite you to linger. Is it sunny? Then be sure to try the 'craziest ice cream' at Schlecks!
Unmissable: L&T, one of the largest owner-operated fashion stores in the north. You'll find everything your fashion heart desires on an area of 22,000 square meters. In the basement of the L&T sports store you can even surf - on the Hasewelle, a standing wave. And in the L&T market hall you can fortify yourself during your shopping tour through Osnabrück.
Fancy the forest and animals? Then nothing like off to the Osnabrück Zoo. With its location in the forest in Schölerberg, it offers unique encounters with the (exotic) animal world, which you can experience in near-natural facilities. In Germany's only underground zoo, you can also get to know the animal life below ground.
With home-brewed beer and hearty food spoils you the Rampendahl Brewery in the Hasestraße. Do you prefer vegetarian or vegan food? In the city center you can choose from a wide range of regional and international cuisine, from street food to star cuisine. You can end the evening in comfort on one of the many terraces in the city center.
Start today with a proper breakfast, e.g. at the Adolf-Reichwein-Platz. Because: Today it's getting active!
Did you know that Osnabrück is the only major city in a nature park? The talk is of the TERRA.vita Nature and Geopark, which not for nothing since 2015 bears the distinction of UNESCO Global Geopark. The park is characterized by scenic diversity and a soil full of extraordinary minerals and fossils. In the middle of it rises the Piesberg, a "stuck" volcano, where the mining of sandstone has exposed cliffs more than 100 meters high. Spectacular! An eight-kilometer circular hiking trail with viewing platforms leads around the Piesberg.
After the hike, you deserve a visit to the Sunday café of the Piesberger Gesellschaftshaus - in good weather in the coffee garden under the chestnut trees. There is fair trade coffee and homemade cake. Or bread with the spread 'Piesberger Grubengold'. Theaters, workshops and dance classes often take place here as well.
Strengthened it goes on to the Museum industrial culturealso on the Piesberg. An interactive exhibition takes you into the world of industrial culture. Old steam engines and fossils are among the highlights of the exhibits. Before you leave Osnabrück again, you should take the glass elevator to the 300-meter-long Hasestollen, a former coal mine 30 meters below ground. If you're on a bike, you can then cycle back to the city center along the Haseuferweg, which runs alongside the river Hase. You have seen it: Osnabrück is always worth a visit.
You can find more information about the Osnabrücker Land here: Four healthy places in the Osnabrück region
By the way, you can find tips on how to travel comfortably and inexpensively on long-distance and local trains with Deutsche Bahn here.
Cover photo: With the cathedral and the City Hall of the Peace of Westphalia, the market square is the center of Osnabrück's old town © Larissa Volz
