Osnabrück Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Osnabrück Overview
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund (Dortmund vacation rentals | Dortmund travel guide), 45 km NE of Münster (Münster vacation rentals | Münster travel guide), and some 100 km due west of Hannover (Hannover vacation rentals | Hannover travel guide).
The city lies in a valley penned between the Wiehengebirge and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. As of June 30, 2006, its population was 163,357, making it the third largest city in Lower Saxony.
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Things to See in Osnabrück
- Town Hall. It houses the Friedensaal, where the Peace of Westphalia was signed.
- St. Peter's Cathedral, founded in the 11th century. It has two façade towers, originally of the same size: in 1502-1543 the south western tower was enlarged, supposedly to make space for new cathedral bells which had been ordered and that turned out to be too large
- Heger Tor ("Heger Gate"), a monument to the soldiers from Osnabrück who died at the battle of Waterloo (1815).
- Bucksturm, the oldest tower in the city, and once part of the city walls. It was once used as prison for women accused of witchcraft.
- Ruwe Fountain" (1985), created for the city's 1200th birthday.
- Gladiator 2000 (1986), a gigantic painture (45 × 6 meters) by Nicolae Covaci.
- Felix Nussbaum Haus A Gallery and Museum dedicated to the Jewish artist and painter Felix Nussbaum who died in the Holocaust
- Kalkriese Museum, situated on the battlefield of the Teutoberger Wald, in which German tribes under Arminius destroyed three Roman legions. It exhibits artefacts unearthed on the battlefield and tells the story of how the battle came to be.
[ source: wikipedia ]
Maps and Driving Directions to Osnabrück
The city of Osnabrück is connected by road to the A1, the A30 and the A33. It shares the Münster Osnabrück International Airport together with the nearby city of Münster. The Hauptbahnhof
(Main Station) of Osnabrück is an important railway station. Travellers from the Netherlands heading for either Hamburg and Denmark, or Berlin and Eastern Europe, often have to change here. An extensive bus service operated by Stadtwerke Osnabrück provides transportation within Osnabrück and the surrounding region. The primary bus center is located at the Neumarkt shopping area, a short distance from the train station.
Travel Insider Tips for Osnabrück
Osnabrueck is great! Lived south of there as an exchange student and soooo loved it! Taking my students there this April!
Shared by Dawn Colton-Mund, Nov 2010
I lived in Osnabrück and went to the X-mas market every year. Its just wonderful. Miss it a lot!
Shared by Angelika Godfrey, Sep 2009
Yes, I've been to Osnabruck. My Onkel Hans-Gunter lived there, and my Tante Margret still does. I was just there last year visiting...Miss it!
Shared by Stefanie Carstens Johnson, Nov 2010
Osnabruck is great, come from near there but live in England now. Miss Germany very much though.
Shared by Doris Sperling, Nov 2010
Ubersicht Dom Osnabruck
[ source: Flickr]
Popular Points of Interest in and near Osnabrück
Felix Nussbaum Haus
[ source: Wikipedia ]
The city is the site of the museum of the internationally renowned German surrealist painter Felix Nussbaum, who was born in Osnabrück in 1904. Nussbaum, who died in 1944 in Auschwitz concentration camp, is regarded as one of the major painters of the 20th century. This unique museum, designed by the renowned American architect Daniel Libeskind, captivates the visitor with its highly individual structure and unusual interior design. The complete works of Nussbaum have been exhibited here since March 1999.
Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm, weekends 10am - 6pm.
Admission: Adults 5 €, Concessions 3 €.
Kalkriese Museum and Park
[ source: Museum website ]
The Battle of Varus in the year 9 AD, which took place in Kalkriese near Osnabrück, was the scene of the slaughter of 10,000 Roman soldiers at the hands of Germanic tribes. The museum commemorates the battle with artifacts such as weapons, coins and pieces of armour. The park includes the remains of the defensive ramparts built by the Germanic tribesmen, which helped them overcome the highly-trained and disciplined Roman legions, as well as a Roman pathway and a botanicum. The Kalkriese Museum and Park were awarded the European Culture Prize in 2005 for their innovative depictions of the Battle of Varus.
Hours: April - October: open daily 10am - 6pm. 1. November - March: Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 5pm.
Admission: Adults 7€, Concessions 4 €, special exhibitions are an extra charge.
Geo and Nature Park TERRA.vita
[ source: Wikipedia ]
Leysieffer Confectionery
[ source: Flickr ]
Since 1909 the family Leysieffer titillated the customers palates with selected confectionery and pastry shop specialities like about 80 different kind of chocolates and truffles, about 60 different kinds of chocolate bars in different flavours, pastries, more than 20 sorts of jam and a lot more.
Leysieffer concentrates mainly on the production of chocolates and truffles. One of the most well-known of these products are the Himmlischen
a fantastic cream truffle chocolate with a melt-in-the mouth filling and rolled in sugar.
Using the long experience Leysieffer had gained over the years in the confectionery and cafés business, the company developed a new kind of bistro catering market by opening 1985 the first Leysieffer Bistro in Westerland on the island of Sylt situated in the North Sea. The aim was to offer guests a different menu of good, but simple food every day. The top quality required by Leysieffer meant that the bistro had to have its own production department around where all served specialities are produced every day fresh such as the well-known red fruit jelly called Sylter Rote Grütze, mousse au chocolate, fruit and cream gateaux as well as savoury dishes which change daily in response to the season. This exclusive catering concept has enabled Leysieffer to continue to expand, and now the company runs bistros in the most exclusive locations in major cities in Germany.
- price level: budget
- opening hours: Open Mon-Sun
- address: Krahnstraße 41, Osnabrück 49074
- telephone:+49 541 338150
- email:verwaltung@leysieffer.de
- fax:+49 541 3381549
- rates and features:Top value restaurant. Main course about € 4.00 - € 11.00
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Osnabrück. If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Osnabrück: Osnabrück (official home page)
- Wikipedia: Osnabrück
More about the History of Osnabrück
Osnabrück developed as a marketplace next to the bishop's see founded by Charlemagne, king of the Franks, 780. Some time before 803, the city became seat of the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück. Also uncertain, but it makes Osnabrück the oldest bishopric in Lower Saxony. In the year 804 Charlemagne possibly founded the Gymnasium Carolinum (a school), which would make it the oldest German Gymnasium. But the charter with the date is disputed and could be a forgery. In 889 it was given merchant, customs, and coinage privileges by King Arnulf of Carinthia. It is first mentioned as a "city" in records in 1147. Shortly afterwards, in 1157, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa granted the city fortification privileges (Befestigungsrecht). Most of the towers that were part of the medieval fortification are still visible in the city. Osnabrück became a member of the Hanseatic League in the 12th century, as well as a member of the Westphalian Federation of Cities. The main period of witch hunting in Osnabrück was between 1561 and 1639. In the year 1582 during the reign of mayor Hammacher (1565-1588) 163 women were killed as alleged witches, most of them burned. During the tenure of mayor Dr. Pelster between 1636-1639, more than 40 women were killed as witches. In total, 276 women and 2 men were executed after a witch trial for wizardry. In 1632 a Jesuit university was founded emanating from the Gymnasium Carlinum. One year later it was closed by the Swedish reign of the Prince-Bishop. Between 1643-1648 negotiations in Münster (Münster vacation rentals | Münster travel guide) and Osnabrück led to the Peace of Westphalia. The city passed to the Electorate of Hanover in 1803 during the German Mediatisation and then briefly to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1806. It was part of the Kingdom of Westphalia from 1807-10, after which it passed to the First French Empire. After the Napoleonic Wars, it became part of the Kingdom of Hanover in 1815. Osnabrück was then annexed by Prussia in 1866 after the Austro-Prussian War and administered within the Province of Hanover. The city became part of the new state of Lower Saxony in 1946 after World War II.
[ source: wikipedia ]
What makes this Live Like a German Osnabrück Travel Guide special...
This Osnabrück travel guide provides you with an overview of Osnabrück, Osnabrück pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
In addition, the Osnabrück destination guide features restaurant recommendations, restaurant reviews, where to go for grocery shopping, sports activities, getting around, cultural events and highlights, entertainment, and health related information - so you are informed for your travel to Germany, and you can learn about all the cool things you can do during your Germany vacation!
