Zitadelle von Münster, Renaissance fortress in Münster, Germany

The Zitadelle von Münster was a pentagonal bastion fort built from April 1661 to May 1662 under Prince-Bishop Christoph Bernhard von Galen. Its five bastions are still visible in aerial photographs, and the site now holds the Fürstbischöfliches Schloss, begun in 1767 by Johann Conrad Schlaun, and the star-shaped Schlossgarten laid out in 1784.

A prince-bishop commissioned this fortress between 1661 and 1662 to defend the city against attacks. After a military engagement during the Seven Years' War, the complex was later transformed and repurposed for different uses.

The citadel's site is now occupied by the Prince-Bishop's Palace, begun in 1767 by Johann Conrad Schlaun, and by the Botanical Garden of Münster, laid out in 1784 as a star-shaped garden bordered by a moat. The garden's paths follow the outline of the former bastions, which remain visible from the air.

The fortress is accessible by public transportation and offers parking facilities for those arriving by car. The grounds are open to walk around, and clear signage helps you navigate the walls and bastions on your own.

The fortress saw action only in the Seven Years' War, when it came under heavy fire in 1759. Its tall ramparts and position in front of the city made it well suited to fireworks displays. The bastions are still recognizable in aerial photographs.