Past castles dreaming in the water

Start your stay in the Münsterland with a cycling tour around Velen. For example, go in search of the traces of bell founders and peat cutters. Starting at the zoo of Velen Castle, the tour takes you along the cycle path network towards the high moor. In the D(T)museum (by appointment) you can gain an insight into what was once the largest raised bog in Westphalia. At the Vennetütenweg, it is worth leaving your bike for a short while and exploring the "Fürstenkuhle" nature reserve on the left, one of the last preserved remnants of raised bog. Around the wet meadows in the Kuhlenvenn, with a bit of luck you can observe rare meadow birds such as the curlew. From here you head towards Gescher: in the bell-founding town, a visit to the Westphalian Bell Museum or the Museumshof auf dem Braem is worthwhile. Then it's back to the starting point in Velen.

Your first stage begins in Velen, whose centre is characterised by the castle of the same name. From here you set course for the southern Münsterland and the heart of the Hohe Mark Nature Park. Today, Lembeck Castle houses an impressive museum that can be visited on a guided tour. Especially at the time of the rhododendron blossom (May to August), the castle park is a popular destination. The cycle tour continues along flat cycle paths under a broad horizon to Raesfeld. The castle there is certainly one of the most beautiful buildings in Westphalia. Framed by the "Freiheit", a tour around Raesfeld Castle offers wonderful photo motifs. Don't miss a short tour by bike or on foot through the historic zoo of the complex.

If at all possible, the terrain becomes increasingly flat. A real treat for cyclists, even for cycling novices. The cycle paths lead you through the wide landscape of the western Münsterland to Borken. In Borken, Gemen Castle awaits you, one of the most unusual castles in the region. As your tour continues, you follow the Bocholter Aa to the starting point in Velen. In Ramsdorf, the museum in the castle provides an overview of the history of the region. On the way back to Velen, meadows and fields dominate the landscape, occasionally interrupted by well-kept farmsteads.