Osnabrück

The message is in the name: the negotiations and the conclusion of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 are the most prominent events of the city’s history, and this tradition still lives today. Every October, approximately 1,200 fourth graders ride their homemade hobby horses over the steps of City Hall in remembrance of the announcement of the Peace of Westphalia, ending the 30 years of religious war in the area. City tours, including the popular “Night Watchman” tours, always begin at the historical benches within the Freidensaal, the great hall (Saal) where the various envoys met to negotiate the Peace (Freiden). In March 2015, the European Commission awarded their European Heritage Label to the City Halls of Osnabrück and Münster as “Sites of the Peace of Westphalia.” This award honors places that have played a significant role in the history of Europe. From 1412 onwards, Osnabrück was a leading member of the Hanseatic League. The old trade routes through the inner city are now modern lively shopping promenades, and the city owes its flair to the juxtaposition of modern buildings, such as the Felix Nussbaum Hause, and the quaint narrow streets of the Heger Tor (Heger Gate) quarter of the old city center. The heart of the city is the Market Place – the site of weddings, festivals, the Christmas Market, and weekly outdoor food market. Before the coulisse of reddish-yellow gabled manor houses, cafes and restaurants take their tables and chairs outside so you can enjoy excellent pastries or something savory with views overlooking City Hall and the lovely Marienkirche (Church of St. Mary).

Osnabrück is the only large German city to lie right in the middle of a natural park – the Nature and Geopark TERRA.vita