Nordkirchen Castle is one of the best-known and most popular excursion destinations in the Münsterland region and is an impressive example of great architecture. Nordkirchen Castle is imposingly situated in the middle of extensive parkland in the immediate vicinity of the town of Nordkirchen. Wonderful walks lead through the park and end at the castle, whose inner courtyard is freely accessible at all times.
The "Westphalian Versailles", as Nordkirchen Palace is also called, was commissioned by Prince-Bishop Friedrich Christian von Plettenberg. Gottfried Laurenz Pictorius began construction, Johann Conrad Schlaun completed the baroque moated castle after 30 years.
It is situated on an island surrounded by quadrangular moats in the middle of a large park which, like the castle, was laid out according to the French model. The focal point of the imposing Nordkirchen Palace is the main building, the Corps de Logis, from which the lower wing buildings develop and enclose the cour d'honneur in a U-shape. The entire building complex is highly symmetrical and in this form an impressive example of a completely preserved baroque complex.
Nordkirchen Castle is now the seat of the NRW University of Applied Sciences for Finance. The castle also houses a restaurant and the castle chapel can be booked for wedding ceremonies.
The 18th-century castle with its spacious park of around 170 hectares has been declared worthy of protection by UNESCO as a "total work of art of international standing". The best way to explore Nordkirchen Castle is to take a walk through the extensive castle park. From many sides, Nordkirchen Castle offers excellent photo motifs for the holiday album. Cyclists have a direct connection to the 100 Castles Route at Nordkirchen Castle.
Garden expert Dr Birgit Beisch accompanies you on an acoustic private tour through the history of the impressive grounds: get to know the magnificent halls of the castle, the adjacent buildings such as the Oranienburg and the park from a new perspective and let yourself be enchanted by the unique atmosphere of Nordkirchen Castle.
Hourly guided tours on Sundays and public holidays
May to September: 11:00 to 17:00
October to April: 14:00 to 16:00
Booking is not necessary. The meeting point is the castle chapel in the castle courtyard. The guided tours last 45-60 minutes.
Group tours by appointment only:
5,00 € per person | minimum price per group 50,00
Guided tours of the park take place by prior arrangement;
minimum price for groups € 60.00On the 1st Sunday of each month there is a public guided tour of the castle and park
April to October 13:30 - 15:00
Registration is not required
Intense, playful and at times a little high-spirited: the piano quintet of the Brandenburg Youth Philharmonic Orchestra knows how to both musically captivate and emotionally move its audience. With their programme, the five young Brandenburgers exploit the rich sound spectrum and complexity of a piano quintet. The starting point for the Brandenburg musicians' joy of playing is Johann Sebastian Bach's third Brandenburg Concerto in a chamber music arrangement.
The Landesjugendsinfonieorchester brought the five musicians together around pianist Emir Ilgen. All five are studying at the Franz Liszt School of Music in Weimar and have been playing together regularly as a quintet since 2021. They have already successfully participated in national and international competitions.
Ermäßigte Eintrittskarten gelten für Empfänger von laufenden Leistungen nach den Sozialgesetzbüchern II und XII, Auszubildende, Freiwilligendienstleistende und Menschen mit einem Grad an Behinderung ab 80 % (soweit erforderlich Begleitperson gegen Nachweis frei).
"Kids" stands for "Culture in the Castle Community" and is a new cultural series organised by the castle community of Nordkirchen. The diverse, amusing and imaginative cultural programme was held for the first time in 2023. New artists with new performances are now in the starting blocks for the second edition of the series with theatre, magic and acrobatics.
"Kids" takes place three times a year, always on Sundays at 11 a.m., on the square at the community centre. Everyone is welcome. The performances take place in the open air, are free of charge and last around 30 to 60 minutes. You are welcome to bring a blanket, folding chairs and a picnic. The offer is aimed at anyone who is interested in culture.
It starts on Sunday, 28 April, with the play "The Wonderful World of Dr Dolittle" by the Don Kidschote Theatre. A lively, imaginative and extremely entertaining performance with lots of hands-on activities for children aged four to seven. Dr Dolittle, the doctor who talks to the animals, goes in search of his sister. The animals of this world help him.
With her "Fidolino" series, presenter and musician Claudia Runde is no stranger to the children and parents who are part of the concert audience in Nordkirchen. This time she will be joined by the ensemble "Les Joyeux". Together they will perform the piece "Bachblüten - Musik und Geschichten über Johann Sebastian Bach". In it, Bach's life and work as well as the time in which he lived are presented in a child-friendly form with music and scenes.
There is a lot of music by Bach and his contemporaries to be heard on recorders, various viols and harpsichord - and actively experienced, because the "Fidolino" concerts are always structured in such a way that the audience should not only prick up their ears, but also actively participate in one or other programme item with singing, body percussion or other hands-on activities.
"Kids" stands for "Culture in the Castle Community" and is a new cultural series organised by the castle community of Nordkirchen. The diverse, amusing and imaginative cultural programme was held for the first time in 2023. New artists with new performances are now in the starting blocks for the second edition of the series with theatre, magic and acrobatics.
"Kids" takes place three times a year, always on Sundays at 11 a.m., on the square at the community centre. Everyone is welcome. The performances take place outdoors, are free of charge and last around 30 to 60 minutes. You are welcome to bring a blanket, folding chairs and a picnic. The offer is aimed at anyone who is interested in culture.
On Sunday, 26 May, magician Zara Finjell will be coming to the square in front of the community centre. The children will be involved and will have to summon up all their magical powers to create magical moments and the most amazing things.
Klaus-Peter Riemer, born in Halle an der Saale in 1944, is a true grand seigneur of the flute. The concert virtuoso and long-time lecturer at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Rheinland has performed in many of Europe's great concert halls during his long career - including La Scala in Milan (Verdi Hall), the Konzerthaus Wien (Schubert Hall) and the Bach Museum in Leipzig. Riemer has performed with the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and many other ensembles.
Miyuki Brummer, who was born in Amagasaki, Japan, in 1976, accompanies him as a congenial duo partner on the piano. She completed her piano studies at the Kyoto University of the Arts with outstanding results. She then went on to study concert piano at the Munich University of Music and the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. In 2005 she completed her master's degree in Salzburg with honours.
Programme: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Anna Amalia of Prussia, Frederick the Great, Johann Joachim Quantz, Johann Adolf Hasse
zzgl. VVK-Gebühren
Ermäßigte Eintrittskarten gelten für Empfänger von laufenden Leistungen nach den Sozialgesetzbüchern II und XII, Auszubildende, Freiwilligendienstleistende und Menschen mit einem Grad an Behinderung ab 80 % (soweit erforderlich Begleitperson gegen Nachweis frei).
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