Lake Aasee, Munster

Lake Aasee is an artificial lake. The lake is surrounded by numerous green spaces and trees, which makes it the largest recreational area in the city of Münster.

Today the lake is the centerpiece of a popular recreation destination near the city center. A youth hostel, several student residences, the student canteen at the Aasee, the "Sentruperhöhe" sports park, the Allwetterzoo Münster with the Westphalian Horse Museum Münster, the LWL (Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe) Museum for Natural History with a planetarium and the "Mühlenhof" open-air museum Münster are located at the Aasee. There are two small sailing boat harbors with a variety of places to eat. A hiking and jogging trail of about 5.7 km (3,5 miles) length leads around the lake.

A rowing regatta is held every spring. Around 900 rowers in 470 boats took part in the 42nd spring regatta on April 20 and 21, 2013.Juniors from the age of 17 participated as well as the adult participants over the Olympic distance of 2000 meters, which stretches over the entire length of Lake Aasee. Younger athletes could compete over a distance of 1500 meters, while the older ones go in for 1000 meters.

Since 2009, Lake Aasee has been one of the venues for the German Rowing League. In September 2012, the German Sprint Championships were held in Münster. From October 11 to 18, 2013 the 100th German championship of the rowing eight on the long distance took place.

The oldest hot-air balloon event in Germany, has been held on the Aasee meadows since 1969. The Montgolfiade is organized every August by the "Freiballonsport-Verein Münster und Münsterland e. V." in cooperation with the sports department of the city of Münster. This local recreation area serves as a sailing venue for two sailing clubs. In autumn, the Pirates' Aasee Cup, organized by the Münster Sailing Club, takes place on the part of the lake nearest to the city. On the upper Aasee, the part of the lake farther away from the city center, the pirate regatta "Bockwurst Challenge", the "Laser Cup" for all laser classes and the optimist "Kiepenkerlregatta" are held every year as ranking list regattas by the "Hansa Münster" sailing club.

Especially on May 1 (Mayday holiday) the Aasee draws crowds of guests who visit the local recreation area for a barbecue. After May 1, 2013, employees of the waste management company of Münster collected six tons of trash from the park area around Lake Aasee. The underground bins for waste and hot barbecue ashes, installed the year before, have been well received.

The stairs of the Aasee terraces offer space for 2,000 spectators at events to sit on. Episodes of the Wilsberg crime series, set in Münster, are regularly shown there. Classical concerts with international cast known as "AaSeerenaden" have also been performed on the Aasee Terraces since 2010 and end always with a fireworks display. A musical program ranging from "jazz to classical, orchestra to choir, pop to baroque" is regularly performed. Intendant (artistic director) is Peter von Wienhardt. According to the organizers, more than 20,000 visitors take part in the three-day event and its supporting program.