Martinimarkt Nottuln

Münsterland Autumn Tradition in Nottuln

If you travel to the southern Münsterland in early November, the Martinimarkt Nottuln is one of the region's most characteristic autumn markets. The collegiate village of Nottuln (Coesfeld district, North Rhine-Westphalia) has preserved its historic identity: the former Stift Nottuln (collegiate foundation) from the 9th century, the Stiftsmarkt with its baroque townhouses, and the St. Martinus Church shape the townscape. The Martinimarkt is named after the patron saint Martin of Tours – it traditionally takes place around St. Martin's Day on November 11th.

Three Days, Three Concepts

The market brings three very different event formats together in a small space:

• Modern Funfair with carousels, bumper cars, a Ferris wheel, and show booths – the child-friendly main attraction
• Craft Market with traditional Münsterland arts and crafts, basket weaving, pottery, wood carving, bee honey, candle making
• Artist Village with contemporary art, jewelry design, fashion manufactories, booksellers, hand-embroidered textiles

The combination makes the market attractive to different target groups: families head for the funfair, connoisseurs browse the craft market, art lovers explore the artist village.

Open Sunday for Shopping

An important component is the open Sunday for shopping: the local retail stores in Nottuln's town center open their doors on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Fashion boutiques, bookstores, bakeries, cafés, and specialty shops complement the market offerings. It is traditional to combine the Nottuln Sunday with a walk through the market and a visit to a café.

Münsterland Specialties

Culinary delights tempt visitors with Münsterland classics: Pfefferpotthast (stewed beef in pepper sauce), Pumpernickel with ham and cheese, Münsterländer Korn as an aperitif, Reibekuchen (potato pancakes) with apple sauce made from Westphalian apples, sausages from local farm butchers, honey from Münsterland beekeepers. The mulled wine (Glühwein) offering typically starts in November as the season opening.

St. Antoni Brotherhood and Tradition

An important co-organizer is the St. Antoni Bruderschaft Nottuln (St. Anthony Brotherhood), which traditionally operates stalls and participates in the organization. The brotherhoods – deeply rooted in the Catholic Münsterland tradition – are not purely marksmen's clubs here, but also custodians of customs and culture. The municipality of Nottuln coordinates the overall festival in cooperation with the local business association (Werberring) and local clubs.

Nottuln and the Baumberge

Nottuln is located at the foot of the Baumberge, the hilly landscape of the southern Münsterland, which, with a height of up to 187 m, forms a scenic peculiarity in the otherwise flat Münsterland loess plains. Tourism – hiking, cycling on the 100 Castles Route, visiting the collegiate village – is an important economic factor. The Martinimarkt additionally brings targeted day tourism from Münster (20 km east), Dülmen, Coesfeld, and the neighboring Netherlands.