Located in the heart of Schleswig-Holstein, Neumünster is a former cloth manufacturing city on the banks of the River Schwale. Due to its importance as an industrial city, it was heavily bombed during World War II and has rebuilt itself as a cultural hub for the surrounding region.
Things to do in Neumünster
In the heart of Neumünster is the Museum Tuch + Technik, which explores the region’s history of cloth-making from the Iron Age to the modern day. Learn about the establishment of cloth factories in the city and the various processes involved in textile manufacturing while admiring the industrial machines on display. Get up close to an early 20th-century wool blender and a jacquard loom, as well as a beautifully decorated bridal drawer.
Art enthusiasts shouldn’t miss a visit to the Herbert Gerisch Foundation, which encompasses the early-20th-century Villa Wachholtz and its surrounding garden. Take note of the sculptural glass fence designed by Olaf Nicolai and get up close to sculptural works by Horst Antes, Bogomir Ecker and Menashe Kadishman.
On the northern outskirts of Neumünster is the Einfelder See, a picturesque lake that provides a popular setting for sunbathing and boating in the summer months. On the western shore is a nature reserve encompassing a tract of willow thicket and reeds while east of the lake is the Dosenmoor. This large, raised blog includes remnants of peat moss and cottongrass that can be explored along a network of hiking trails.
Getting around Neumünster
Neumünster is around a one-hour drive from Hamburg and 40 minutes from Hamburg Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe and North Africa. Regular trains connect to the Neumünster railway station and buses travel throughout the city. The centre of Neumünster can easily be explored on foot.