Osnabrück: Culture, History and Nature

When looking for a hotel in Osnabrück, you might first consider which themes you’d like to shape your stay: the history of the Old Town, art and museums, or wildlife and botany. The city offers specific places to explore each of these interests. The following attractions can help you decide what to focus on during your trip.

Old Town and the history of peace

Osnabrück’s Old Town stretches from Heger Tor via the Market Square to Hasestraße. In the historic Town Hall, the Hall of Peace commemorates a special role played by the city: it was one of the two venues where the Peace of Westphalia was negotiated. Along with Münster, Osnabrück was where the peace treaties ending the Thirty Years’ War were signed.

The history of St. Mary’s Church reveals another side of the negotiations. At the beginning of the peace talks, in 1643, it served as a secret meeting place for Swedish and Danish envoys. They wanted to avoid being watched by spies. The Hall of Peace and St. Mary’s Church thus represent different moments in the same period of negotiations: the signing of the treaties and the secret talks that preceded it.

Older buildings also shape the character of the Old Town beyond these well-known historic sites. Around thirty stone houses still survive there today; many are set back from the street or hidden in courtyards. At St. Peter’s Cathedral, the present appearance of the Late Romanesque building is largely the result of construction work carried out by Bishop Adolf of Tecklenburg in the 13th century. Those interested in urban history can explore it at different scales, from individual buildings to the venues of European peace negotiations.

Museums and cultural venues

The Museumsquartier Osnabrück brings together four institutions from different eras. The Felix Nussbaum House is a particular highlight: it holds the world’s largest collection of works by the painter Felix Nussbaum. The former Akzisehaus customs house hosts small temporary exhibitions, readings, concerts, talks and presentations. Together, these venues offer different ways to engage with art and culture—through a collection, a museum quarter or a changing programme of events.

Zoo: themed worlds and an underground animal world

Osnabrück Zoo covers around 23.5 hectares and is home to more than 2,600 animals from around 290 species in habitats designed to feel natural. Twelve themed worlds take visitors across different continents and habitats. Three different playgrounds and a petting area round out the attractions. As facilities and animal populations may change, it’s worth checking the latest visitor information before your visit.

The Underground Zoo offers a special perspective: the discovery tour leads through a dimly lit maze of tunnels inhabited by animals. A medieval canal and a well are modelled on a medieval sewer and an archaeological find from Osnabrück’s city centre, respectively. This area thus combines animal watching with a recreated underground setting.

Botanical Garden and sustainability education

The Botanical Garden of Osnabrück University opened in 1984 and is located in two former quarries on Westerberg. The second, more natural quarry shows how native plants and animals are reclaiming this urban habitat. The rainforest house offers a different landscape, with a section of lowland rainforest from the Amazon Basin. These two themes—native habitats and tropical rainforest—offer different perspectives on plants and their surroundings.

The Botanical Garden’s Green School offers guided tours and activity programmes focused on education for sustainable development; availability of individual programmes may vary. They include “The Miracle of Mocha – Following the Trail of Coffee”, “Food of the Gods – From the Cacao Tree to Chocolate” and “That’s the Way the Salad Crumbles – Fruit from the Tropics and Subtropics”. The programmes combine an informative tour with a hands-on, enjoyable practical session. If you’d like to include one in your plans, check in advance which programme is available on your visit date.

Discover more destinations: Menslage, Hagen Am Teutoburger Wald, Atter, Quakenbrück, Nortrup, Belm, Bad Iburg, Gehrde.

Go to the main travel overview: Osnabrück.