Ahlen | Information on living and working in Ahlen in Münsterland
Ahlen in the Münsterland
© Münsterland e.V./Sebastian Lehrke
A city through the ages
Ahlen

Welcome to Ahlen!

Ahlen offers you THE GOOD LIFE between many leisure and cultural activities in the city and excursions into the green Münsterland. The approximately 53,000 inhabitants live in the core city, two small districts and several farming communities.

between the Ruhr area, Münsterland and East Westphalia

Ahlen is located in the district of Warendorf in the middle of Westphalia: The city belongs to the Münsterland region, but you can also quickly reach the Ruhr region and East Westphalia via the nearby A1 and A2 motorways. For example, it takes 45 minutes by car to Münster and 50 minutes to Münster/Osnabrück Airport (FMO) . You can reach Dortmund and Bielefeld just as quickly, and Paderborn/Lippstadt airport is an hour's drive away. The district town of Warendorf is 35 minutes away. From the railway station in Ahlen you can travel directly to Münster, Hamm, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Düsseldorf and Cologne.

Tip: The Münsterland is a cycling region! 4,500 kilometres of cycle paths offer you almost unlimited possibilities in the city and in the countryside: you can commute to work comfortably by bike and go on great tours with friends and family.

Living in Ahlen

The town of Ahlen consists of the town centre and the rural districts of Dolberg and Vorhelm; each of the three districts includes several farming communities. Around 3,500 of the total population of 53,000 live in Dolberg and around 4,000 in Vorhelm.
In the old town, where you can discover many historic buildings, there are shops, cafés, restaurants, the cinema and museums. There are a number of green spaces between the housing estates, such as the city park on the banks of the small river Werse.

Even though rental and purchase prices are following the general property trend overall, there are still numerous niches to be discovered in Münsterland when it comes to building, buying or renting. Here you can find the average purchase and rental prices for a house or flat in the rural area of Münsterland.

You can find an overview of urban building plots on the website of the city of Ahlen.

Did you know ...?!

Ahlen is known nationwide mainly for the club "Rot Weiss Ahlen", which (under the former name LR Ahlen) played in the Second German Football League from 2000 to 2006. Among the most prominent former players is Kevin Großkreutz, who later became German champion with BVB and world champion with the German national team in 2014.

Shopping in Ahlen

Shopping in Ahlen is particularly good in the city centre with its pedestrian zone. As in many places in Münsterland, you can not only browse in branches of large fashion chains, but also discover small, fine boutiques and concept stores . And of course you will also find specialist bicycle shops in Ahlen that offer lots of accessories and new bicycles or e-bikes. Between the many small and large shops, cafés and restaurants invite you to take a break.
Supermarkets and bakeries are not only in the city centre, but also in the residential areas further out and in the districts of Dolberg and Vorhelm. Twice a week you can also buy fresh food at the market in the city centre.

Childcare in Ahlen

Ahlen has around 25 kindergartens and daycare centres run by various providers. The city provides information on the enrolment procedure on its website. There you will also find information on child day care in Ahlen.

Schools in Ahlen

Ahlen's schools and vocational colleges offer pupils the opportunity to obtain all qualifications and also qualify for their future career:

  • Ten primary schools
  • One lower secondary school
  • Two comprehensive schools
  • Two grammar schools
  • One special school (specialising in emotional and social development)
  • Three vocational colleges

Working in Ahlen

Ahlen is a former mining town, today the business location is mainly characterised by the metalworking industry. In addition to many small and medium-sized businesses, some well-known companies are also located in Ahlen, for example the bathtub and washbasin manufacturer Franz Kaldewei, the Winkelmann Group, which specialises in metal forming, and LR Health & Beauty Systems, which produces perfumes and cosmetics, among other things. The hospital in Ahlen - the St. Franziskus Hospital - includes, among other things, a children's clinic.

Top employer in Münsterland

Top employer in Münsterland Top employer in Münsterland
© Hengst SE

Our tips: Leisure, sport and culture in Ahlen

  • Cycling tour on the Werse cycle path or the 100 castles route
  • Football, handball, tennis, badminton and much more in the sports clubs
  • Swimming in the open-air or indoor swimming pool (Parkbad)
  • Horse riding in one of the riding clubs
  • Excursions to the golf courses in Everswinkel, Ennigerloh or Lippetal
  • Exhibitions at the Ahlen Art Museum, the Fritz Winter House or the City Gallery
  • Comedy, music and much more in the town hall
  • Cinema
  • Funfairs in May and autumn
  • Ahlen Summer" town festival
  • Christmas market "Ahlen Advent
  • City trip to Münster or Enschede
  • Trip to the skiing area in Winterberg (1.5 hours)
  • Trip to the All Saints' Fair or the Christmas market in Soest (40 minutes)
  • You can also find more information at the welcome service of the district of Warendorf
  • and much more.

The MünsterlandBlog

Cycling through the Münsterland park landscape Cycling through the Münsterland park landscape
© Kerstin Clev
We have tested the Werseradweg for you

Our colleague Kerstin Clev really enjoys riding her e-bike to experience the small and large adventures of Münsterland. The WerseRadweg, which leads through Ahlen among other places, was naturally also on her list. Find out what she experienced and saw on her tour in her article on the MünsterlandBlog.

Listen in! Podcast "So oder so" | The colliery in Ahlen

"SO OR SO - your Münsterland". With this podcast from Germany's most beautiful region, you will experience a short acoustic tour of the colliery site in Ahlen. Come along and learn more about a piece of industrial culture in Münsterland in ten minutes:

Curious? Your free time in Ahlen

Marktplatz Ahlen Marktplatz Ahlen
© Münsterland e.V. / Sebastian Lehrke