Osnabrück is a university and diocesan town and the German Foundation for the Environment and the German Foundation for Peace Research are based here. Because  Osnabrück is the city of the Peace of Westphalia and the home town to painter Felix Nussbaum and writer Erich Maria Remarque, it has committed itself to the idea of peace.

Osnabrück is the cultural centre of the western part of Lower Saxony and the vital centre of an economic region with around 780,000 inhabitants, which includes not only Lower Saxony but also parts of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Geographical location

Longitude of 8° 3’ 2” east
Latitude of 52° 16’ 28” north
Altitude (measured at Neumarkt) 64 metres above sea level
Highest point (at Piesberg) 190 metres above sea level
Lowest point (Hase in Pye) 54 metres above sea level

Area: total of 11,979 hectares

Directions

By car, caravan or bus

Osnabrück can be reached via the A1 motorway (Hamburg-Dortmund), the A30 motorway (Amsterdam-Bad Oeynhausen) and the motorway A33 (Diepholz-Bielefeld). Each of the exits leads you straight into the city centre. An automatic parking system guides you directly to the multi-storey car parks with available spaces.

By plane

The international airport Osnabrück-Münster (FMO) is about 30 minutes away from Osnabrück. At the international airport you are connected to the national and international network of routes. The express bus number 150 takes you to and from the airport within 40 minutes, 19 times a day.

By train

The historic railway station at the edge of the city centre is connected to the railway lines of the Deutsche Bahn. Running north-south, the InterCity trains from Hamburg-Basel stop in Osnabrück, running east-west the trains between Amsterdam and Berlin stop here. But the NordWestbahn and the ‘Haller Willem’, a regional train, also transport passengers into the region.

Yacht harbours in Osnabrück

By water Osnabrück is also easily reached. Osnabrück has space to dock boats, for those seeking relaxation at a quiet and beautiful location, which is perfect for walking and cycling. From the ‘Mittelland’ canal (at 30.4km), the branch canal leads straight to Osnabrück. Those who are looking for a quiet yacht harbour are spot on here.