Today, we took an excursion to Münster, and spent pretty much the entire day there. To start, our guide Enno gave us a little walking tour and explained the history of the city and some of its buildings. He explained that during World War II, the city was heavily bombed, including the city center. As a result, when the city was rebuilt, it was able to be smart and efficient, and rebuild in a way that makes sense for the people living there. We also were able to see St. Lambert’s Church. Something I noticed about the church is that it had gargoyles on it. Gargoyles are actually important for ensuring the sustainability of old buildings, because they send rainwater out and away from the building, thus preserving the stone.
Afterwards, we had free time for the rest of the day to explore the city. Unfortunately, due to it being Sunday, most businesses were closed, however we were still able to find things to do. First, we stopped by a bakery where I got a really tasty white chocolate raspberry pastry and a hojicha. After that, we went to the Picasso museum, which was really interesting but definitely had a slightly misleading name. While it was home to some Picasso paintings, it mostly displayed the works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The museum only displayed unfinished projects, prototypes, and smaller works, but they are most known for their environmental displays of wrapping buildings, structures, and the natural environment itself. I felt that it was interesting learning about them, but at the same time I wasn’t a big fan of the museum itself. After this, we got a quick lunch before exploring the city further.
Before leaving Münster, we went back to the pastry shop for a snack before departing for Rotterdam.