Holiday in Münsterland

About Münsterland

The Münsterland in North Rhine-Westphalia is a landscape like a Dutch painting: flat, expansive, and crisscrossed by water ditches, over 100 water castles and palace complexes rise from the gently rolling park landscape — the highest density of water castles in Europe. The 100 Castles Route, a 960-kilometer long cycling path, connects the most beautiful of these sites and leads through avenues, rural villages, and past horse paddocks. Münster, the capital of the region, is one of the most livable cities in Germany and bears the nickname Bicycle Capital: With over 500,000 bicycles for around 315,000 inhabitants, almost every journey is made on two wheels. The Prinzipalmarkt with its Gothic gabled houses and arcades, the historic town hall where the Peace of Westphalia was signed in 1648, and the mighty St. Paul's Cathedral shape the city center. The weekly market in the cathedral square is one of the most beautiful in North Rhine-Westphalia. Burg Vischering near Lüdinghausen, a picture-perfect water castle from the 13th century, and Schloss Nordkirchen, the Westphalian Versailles with its baroque garden, are the highlights among the water castles. The Münsterland is Germany's number one horse region: breeding areas for Westphalian horses, riding stables, and international tournaments like the CHIO shape the region. The Münsterland cuisine is hearty with Töttchen (ragout), Pumpernickel, Struwen (yeast pancakes), and a strong Altbier or Münsterländer Korn.