Gescher in the Münsterland | Info on living, living, working in Gescher
Gescher in the Münsterland
© Münsterland e.V./Hans Zaglitsch
Much more than church bells
Gescher

Welcome to Gescher!

Small but nice: In Gescher, THE GOOD LIFE awaits you between the idyllic meadows of the Berkel, colourful weekly markets and many leisure opportunities. The town has a good 17,000 inhabitants and consists of two districts and five farming communities. It owes its nickname "bell town" to a historic bell foundry.

Between Münster and the Netherlands

The town of Gescher is located in the district of Borken south of Ahaus between Stadtlohn and Coesfeld and thus very close to the border with the Netherlands. It is only 30 minutes by car to Winterswjik, which regularly has open Sundays. Enschede can be reached from Gescher in about 50 minutes - and Münster, Dortmund and Münster/Osnabrück Airport (FMO) are only an hour away. It takes half an hour to get to the district town of Borken.

You can also reach the sea very quickly: via the nearby A31 motorway, you can reach the North Sea coast from Gescher in just two and a half hours.

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 Gescher

The two main districts are Gescher town centre and the Hochmoor district, which is a 15-minute drive from the centre. Surrounding the town centre are the five farming communities of Harwick, Estern, Büren, Tungerloh-Capellen and Tungerloh-Pröbsting.
The town centre is characterised by well-kept town houses, the spacious villas of former textile manufacturers and the St. Pankratius church. To the north, east and west are green residential areas. To the west of the city flows the small river Berkel, which even has its own festival dedicated to it.

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. In the property market report , you can view information on sales and price trends on the property market in the Borken district.

The Hochmoor district is Gescher's second residential centre with a good 2000 inhabitants. Originally there was actually a moor on this site, but today there are mainly housing estates in addition to a few small shops.

Did you know ... ?!

In Gescher there is an old custom that is distantly reminiscent of Saint Martin and has the beautiful name "Äppelken poop Äppelken" ("little apples, little apples"): Every year on the day of St. Michael the Archangel (29 September), the children of the town go from house to house singing an old Low German song. In return, they are given sweets. Originally, they were given the leftover apples from the gardens - hence the name of this old custom.

Shopping in Gescher

Gescher is the town of short distances: bakeries and supermarkets are spread over both parts of the town. Every Thursday, the weekly market takes place in the centre. From May to September you can also visit the popular after-work market , which is accompanied by a changing musical and cultural programme.
Gescher does not have a classic pedestrian zone, but you can still find everything you need along the main street . For example, you can stop off in cosy restaurants, cafés and bistros in the town centre or browse for beautiful individual items in small boutiques. You'll also find lots of accessories for bicycles or e-bikes in several specialist bicycle shops. And if you want to shop in a completely different way, you can either drive across the border to Winterswijk or to the Designer Outlet in Ochtrup. Both are only about 30 minutes away from Gescher by car.

Childcare and schools in Gescher

There are about ten childcare facilities in Gescher, including an independent daycare centre, church childcare centres and some run by the German Red Cross (DRK). You can register for a place at a childcare facility directly through the respective institution. An overview is available on the municipality's website.

Gescher has a total of six schools for children and young people of all ages:

  • three primary schools,
  • one comprehensive school
  • and two special schools for language and mental development.

Two secondary schools and three grammar schools are located in neighbouring Coesfeld.

Working in Gescher

For a long time, Gescher was characterised by the textile industry and agriculture - the textile company HUESKER Synthetic, for example, which still has its headquarters in the Glockenstadt, bears witness to this. However, Gescher has many other economic sectors to offer, from the metal and plastics industry to waste disposal and service companies to software companies, such as d.velop, with high growth potential. Under the umbrella of the HIMMEL Technologies Group with its headquarters in Gescher, for example, a total of eight companies from the fields of machine and drive technology, automation technology, plant engineering, water treatment and environmental technology are united.

Top employer in Münsterland

Top employer in Münsterland Top employer in Münsterland
© Hengst SE

Our tips: Leisure, sport and culture in Gescher

  • Cycle tour on the Flamingo Route or on the river cycle paths along the Berkel, Aa and Slinge.
  • Hiking trail to Velen Castle
  • Excursion to the Fürstenkuhle and Kuhlenvenn nature reserves
  • Sports in one of the many sports clubs
  • Trip to the golf club in Coesfeld
  • Outdoor swimming pool
  • Riding club
  • Five museums: Westphalian Bell Museum, Beekeeping Museum, Museumshof auf dem Braem, Peat Museum, Hense Art Gallery
  • After-work market with music and entertainment programme (May to September)
  • Enjoy the nightlife in a club or various bars
  • City trip to Münster or Enschede
  • Shopping trip to the open Sunday in Winterswijk
  • Trip to the Designer Outlet Ochtrup
  • and much more

Curious? Your free time in Gescher

Gescher in the Münsterland Gescher in the Münsterland
© Münsterland e.V./Hans Zaglitsch
Leisure in Gescher
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