Aasee Lake, Münster

Fifteen minutes on foot from the Prinzipalmarkt and suddenly there is open space: the Aasee stretches for about 2.3 kilometres from the edge of the old town to the south-west, lined with meadows, plane trees and lakeside paths. For locals it is sports ground, living room and open-air gallery in one. Sculptures by international artists stand around the water, and at the far end you will find the zoo, the natural history museum and an open-air museum.

History: a lake against floods

Where sailing boats now cross, there used to be marshy meadows through which the River Aa flowed, regularly flooding the old town. As early as 1888 the zoologist Hermann Landois called for a reservoir that would control flooding and allow rowing and sailing. Digging only began in 1914 and was halted by the First World War. After a severe flood in 1925 work resumed, and in 1934 the 20.7-hectare lake was finished. When the all-weather zoo was built in 1972–1976, the lake was extended south to almost twice its size, today just over 40 hectares, and the park grew to around 90 hectares with about ten kilometres of paths.

What to see

• Aasee Terraces: At the northern end a wide flight of steps leads down to the water, seating up to 2,000 people at events.
• Sculptures: The best known are Claes Oldenburg's Giant Pool Balls, made in 1977 for the first sculpture exhibition. Locals hated them at first, and someone even tried to roll them into the lake. Other works come from later exhibitions up to 2007.
• Tormin Bridge: It separates the old and the 1970s sections of the lake and gives a long view over the water.
• South shore: The all-weather zoo, the LWL Natural History Museum with planetarium and the Mühlenhof open-air museum are right by the lake.

Good to know

Since 2012 the solar boat Solaaris, an electric catamaran for 68 passengers, has replaced the old wooden water bus. The Montgolfiade balloon festival has been held on the lakeside meadows in August since 1969, the oldest event of its kind in Germany. Swimming and windsurfing are banned because of the water quality.

Practical information (as of October 2026)

The park is free and open at all times. Boat hire, a sailing school, cafés and restaurants line the shore. In 2026 the Solaaris runs daily from 28 March to 1 November to the zoo, the natural history museum and the Mühlenhof; you can hop off at any stop, and the boat ticket includes the city bus to the pier and back.

Getting there

It is about 15 minutes on foot from the Prinzipalmarkt to the north end of the lake, or take bus line 14. By bike, Münster's favourite way to get around, it takes just a few minutes.

Tripto tip

The full loop takes about 1.5 to 2 hours on foot. Start at the Aasee Terraces, walk along the west bank to the Tormin Bridge and on to the zoo, then return by solar boat in season. In winter, when the Christmas markets fill the old town, the lake is a good place for a breath of fresh air.