Bad Münstereifel Old Town

In Bad Münstereifel the River Erft flows right through the old town, lined with walls and crossed by little bridges. Around it stands an almost completely preserved town wall with four gate towers, enclosing half-timbered houses, a Romanesque collegiate church and one of the oldest stone houses in western Germany. The fact that many of the old buildings now house outlet stores is part of this small Eifel town's recent story.

History: from monastery to town

Around 830 Abbot Markward of Prüm founded a daughter monastery here, the "Novum Monasterium" or New Minster. In 844 Pope Sergius II donated the relics of the Roman martyrs Chrysanthus and Daria, pilgrims came, and a market grew up around the monastery. As early as 898 King Zwentibold granted market, minting and toll rights, much earlier than many other places in the region. The town's name comes from this minster in the Eifel.

Around 1300 the Count of Jülich built the castle and the town defences. Wool weavers, tanners and brewers brought prosperity, but in the 19th century the town lost importance. Tourism revived it: Münstereifel became a Kneipp spa in 1926 and has carried the prefix "Bad" since 1967. In July 2021 the flooding Erft badly damaged the town centre, and much has been rebuilt since.

What to see

• Town wall and gates: The 13th-century fortifications survive almost complete. The tallest gate is the slender Werther Tor in the north, joined by the Johannistor, Orchheimer Tor and Heisterbacher Tor. Until the 18th century they still had drawbridges and portcullises.
• Collegiate Church of Saints Chrysanthus and Daria: The Romanesque church from around 1100 has a westwork probably inspired by St Pantaleon in Cologne.
• Romanesque House: Built in 1167, it is one of the oldest natural-stone houses in western Germany. Three window columns on the first floor are made of calcareous sinter from the Roman aqueduct. Today it houses the local history museum.
• Town hall: The oldest part probably dates from the 14th century; the extension with the "new kamer" was completed in 1551.
• Windeckhaus: On Orchheimer Straße this half-timbered house stands out with its richly carved facade.
• Münstereifel Castle: It sits on the slope above the old town.

Good to know

In 2014 Bad Münstereifel became the first town where an outlet centre opened inside a historic town centre. Instead of a new mall on a greenfield site, the shops moved into empty premises in the old town. Nearby are sights you would not expect in the Eifel: the 100-metre Effelsberg radio telescope, the listed Astropeiler radio telescope on the Stockert, and a 3rd-century Roman lime kiln near Iversheim. The singer Heino lived in the town for many years and ran a café here from 1996 to 2012.

Visiting and getting there

The old town is freely accessible and small enough for a relaxed stroll. Two to three hours are enough for the town wall, church and riverside; with shopping or a trip to the radio telescope it becomes a full day.

By train, the RB 23 runs hourly from Euskirchen, with some services continuing as the S 23 to Bonn, a journey of about 74 minutes in total. Bad Münstereifel is the terminus of the Erft valley line, and regional buses run to Euskirchen, among other places.

Tripto tip

Walk once around the outside of the town wall and then enter through the Werther Tor. That way you first see the fortifications as a whole, and then how tightly half-timbering and river crowd together inside.