As one of the most important service and administrative locations, Münster lies in the heart of Münsterland. The large natural areas and traditional agriculture and forestry shape the environment of the region. There are no large industrial corporations here, but there are numerous medium-sized and small companies. Münster itself is one of the largest university cities in Germany, with nine universities. The cityscape is characterized by the historic old town, narrow streets, green spaces, parks – and bicycles.