Four relaxed cycling tours around Münster

Münster is known far beyond its borders as the cycling city par excellence. But cycling around Münster is also a great experience. Whether it's nature or culture: there's something for everyone here. Discover romantic castles and stately homes, idyllic landscapes with wide fields and woods, and picturesque villages. Just typical Münsterland!

Still no idea where to go? Here are four excursion options that stretch out like a compass in all four directions from Münster. The choice is yours: will it be a tour through the Rieselfelder fields, through the river landscapes south of the city, along the little river Werse or past magnificent aristocratic residences?

The nice thing about all four routes is that they are pleasantly flat and only between 24 and 31 kilometres long. So you can take it easy on each tour and spend plenty of time enjoying the attractions along the way. Or you can combine several tours into one long one.

Tour to the sewage fields

It's only about 10 kilometres from Münster city centre to the breathtaking nature reserve of the Rieselfelder! You start in the city centre and cycle along the promenade, then through the picturesque Wienburg Park. Before you dive into the biotope, you can take a break at the charming Café Heidekrug.

Finally, you will see the wetland's reservoirs, pastures and fruit trees. Storks, Heck cattle and several other animal species are also at home here. You can explore the Rieselfelder on your own or take part in a guided tour at the Biological Station. After this nature experience, the route continues through the pleasant village of Gimbte and the Bockholter Berge; another nature reserve characterised by forest and a sandy dune and heath landscape. Back to Münster, you simply follow the Dortmund-Ems Canal.

Tour to the Rieselfelder at a glance

31.2 km
easy
approx. 2 hours at 16.8 km/h
80 m
80 m

River Landscape Tour

Water is the defining element of this cycle tour in the south of Münster. From the city centre, you cycle to the Dortmund-Ems Canal and can take a look at the city harbour. You haven't quite left the city behind, but you're already cycling through peaceful nature. The small village of Angelmodde is located where the Angel flows into the Werse. Take a look around and discover pretty buildings such as the Catholic parish church of St. Agatha. From here you follow the loops of the Werse for the next few kilometres to Albersloh. Then you go through the forest, past the Hohe Ward waterworks. Before you cycle back to Münster along the Dortmund-Ems Canal, you pass Lake Hiltrup. You can't swim here, but you can linger on the shore.

Tour of the river landscapes at a glance

31.3 km
moderately difficult
approx. 2 hours at 15.6 km/h
90 m
90 m

Tour on the Werse

The Werse is a particularly low-flow river in Münsterland. It rises near Beckum and flows into the Ems near Münster. Here, at the gates of the university town, it meanders through the romantic park landscape. A cycling tour along the river is pure idyll!

The tour starts at the promenade in the centre of Münster. The first highlights on the route are not long in coming. For example, there is the Dortmund-Ems Canal, where you can watch the shipping traffic. The Dyckburg Church follows shortly afterwards: it is a beautiful ensemble built by Baroque master builder Johann Conrad Schlaun. Cycling through the park of Dyckburg, you finally reach the Werse, which ripples peacefully through the landscape. Take a break at the Pleistermühle, one of the most beautiful restaurants in the region. On your way back, you will pass the pretty Haus Lütkenbeck and cross the Dortmund-Ems Canal again.

Tour on the Werse at a glance

24.1 km
easy
approx. 1.5 hours at 14.6 km/h
90 m
90 m

Tour in the footsteps of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff

You haven't heard the name Annette von Droste-Hülshoff yet? Well, she was one of the most important poets of the 19th century and also a composer. On this tour you will explore some of the places where she lived in the west of Münster: for example, the beautiful Rüschhaus house, built by Johann Conrad Schlaun. Annette lived here after the death of her father. Then your path leads you on to Hülshoff Castle. The well-preserved and romantic moated castle is the author's birthplace. Here you will find a museum dedicated to Droste and a café that invites you to take a break. On your way back, you will pass other attractions such as the Allwetterzoo and the Mühlenhof open-air museum.