Prinzipalmarkt in Münster

Since the Middle Ages, the Prinzipalmarkt has been Münster's main shopping street. The tall, narrow houses with their steep gables and arched arcades on massive columns were originally built by wealthy investors. Generations of merchants have established their businesses along this remarkable street since the late 12th century. The Prinzipalmarkt is the oldest shopping street in Münster and is the center of the Old City. Even during the Middle Ages, the arcades made shopping possible in any weather condition.

Destroyed in a bombing raid in 1943, the houses along the Prinzipalmarkt were rebuilt in the old style reflecting the street's quaint, old architecture and historic atmosphere. The Gothic gables of the City Hall and the Renaissance façade of the Stadtweinhaus (City Wine House) are almost exactly as they were during medieval times.