Münster is well-known as Germany's bicycle capital – statistically speaking, there are two bicycles to every inhabitant! The historic city centre, Lake Aa and the moated castles in the region have made Münster very popular among residents and students alike.

Münster (German: [ˈmʏnstɐ]; Westphalian: Mönster) is an independent city (Kreisfreie Stadt) in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region.

German (mainly Münster) and Dutch (also Van Munster): habitational name from any of the places called Münster (in Germany) or Munster derived from Latin monasterium 'monastery' or a topographic name for someone living near a monastery.

Münster's roots can be traced back to the 6^th century AD. However, the city officially came into existence in 793, when Frisian missionary Liudger founded the “Monasterium” cloister. Münster became a cathedral city as early as 805, and the city remains an active centre of the Roman-Catholic church.