Droste Landscape: Poetry Trail
One path. One poet. A life's work.
On the "Droste Landscape: Poetry Trail" you follow in the footsteps of the famous writer and composer Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. The approximately seven-kilometre-long path connects Hülshoff Castle near Havixbeck with Haus Rüschhaus near Münster. She walked this path, which connects the two places where Annette lived at the time, a hundred times in the second half of her life.
What was life like at that time? What issues preoccupied her at that time? Who was she in contact with? The barrier-free outdoor museum gives you answers to these and many other questions. At eleven developed stations and ten digital stops on the poetry trail, the change in literature, everyday culture and nature through the centuries is traced. Drostes' texts, a film, pictures, music and audio pieces make the path an experience for almost all senses.
Well equipped on the road
The Droste Landscape: Poetry Trail is an experience for the whole family. You can take a leisurely walk or explore it by bike. You decide the pace and the stops! In between, idyllic meadows and newly created rest areas invite you to picnic and linger.
Thanks to a map and poetry path signs on trees, pillars and other objects, you will stay on the right path. The map is available free of charge at Hülshoff Castle, at the Rüschhaus or online here. The Lyrikweg app contains additional virtual stops and interesting information. If you install the app on your mobile phone or tablet beforehand with a WLAN connection, it will also work without a mobile network. For better listening quality, the use of headphones is recommended.
Two books accompanying the exhibition are also available for purchase in the museum shops at Hülshoff Castle and Haus Rüschhaus. The walking book is available for 20 euros and the children's book "Annette, Querkus und die Wilden Worte" for 10 euros.
Lyric Path | Map
Background information
Portrait of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff© Münsterland e.V./Philipp Fölting
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797-1848) is probably one of Germany's most important poets. But that was not always the case: when she died, her work was virtually unknown. Even her family did not take her talent seriously. Her first book of poems did not sell 100 copies. Some labelled her texts "incomprehensible". Despite the criticism, Droste continued and in 1842 completed "Die Judenbuche", probably her best-known work. Gradually she gained more followers. But shortly afterwards she died for health reasons. Shortly before, she had noted in a letter: "I don't like or want to be famous now, but after a hundred years I want to be read." And she was! Before the euro was introduced in Germany, her face even graced the 20-mark note.
Hülshoff Castle in Havixbeck© Münsterland e.V./Philipp Fölting
Hülshoff Castle was first mentioned in documents in the 11th century. It is best known as the ancestral seat of the old Westphalian noble family Droste zu Hülshoff. The most famous member of the family was also born here: Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. She spent the first half of her life in the castle. Today, the moated castle houses, among other things, the Droste Museum, which provides an insight into the life of the poetess and the nobility of the time.
House Rüschhaus near Münster© Münsterland e.V.
Haus Rüschhaus is a country estate in the Nienberge district of Münster. The origins of the house lie in the dark. What is known is that it was already owned by the bishops of Münster in the 14th century. After the death of her father, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff moved with her mother and sister from Hülshoff Castle to the Rüschhaus. The small manor house was redesigned and extended by the famous Westphalian baroque architect Johann Conrad Schlaun. Her brother, on the other hand, took over the family seat.
Münsterland Tourism Centre© Münsterland e.V./Fabian Riediger