100 Castles Route - The South Course

Münster is the perfect starting point for your bike tour. But don't get on your bike straight away, take some time to visit the city. The Prinzipalmarkt is considered the city's "parlour". It's a great place to stroll under the arcades around the historic town hall. Münster's impressive cathedral is only a few metres away. A look inside the building is definitely worthwhile. Just like the cathedral, the famous church of St. Lamberti is a dominant feature of Münster's cityscape. On your way through the alleys of the city, you will inevitably come across the Erbdrostenhof. This magnificent building is one of the sights of the 100 Castles Route, just like Münster Castle, where your cycle tour begins.

Just a few kilometres from Münster, the 100 Castles Route is framed by meadows and pastures. The expanse of the flat landscape is only interrupted by a few farmsteads and charming villages. Again and again you will find restaurants, cafés and beer gardens along the cycle path. Mansions such as the Drostenhof near Münster or Haus Brückhausen near Everswinkel bring history to life. At Ascheberg at the latest, you will reach the "Castle Triangle" on your cycle tour. First of all, the painterly Westerwinkel Castle rises out of the Münsterland park landscape near Ascheberg. A walk through the park opens up new perspectives of the moated castle.

It is now only a few pedal turns to the famous Nordkirchen Castle. The largest and most famous castle in the region is also called the "Versailles of Westphalia". And the castle and park live up to their reputation. Surrounded by moats and a lake, the castle's size alone is impressive. It takes time to walk around the castle - but it's definitely worth it. A souvenir photo with the lake and the Venus Island is a "must" on your bike tour.

In a wide curve, the cycle path of the 100 Castles Route leads you past Haus Sandfort near Olfen to the castle town of Lüdinghausen. It would hardly be surprising if you were met by a few knights at Castle Vischering. The main building towers mightily and proudly behind the picturesque outer castle. Even if Vischering Castle looks particularly fortified, today it is a cultural centre for the region. In the castle's museum you can learn a lot more about the castles of the Münsterland region.

The 100 Castles Route now heads almost due north. Before the nature of the hilly Tree Mountains takes over, you will come across the Schloss Senden. Long derelict, the castle is one of the most exciting sites on the South Course. The castle is being meticulously restored. In the process, more than one mystery surrounding the history and construction of the castle has already been solved. The cycle route to the picturesque old town of Nottuln still has almost no metres in altitude.

On the further way to Billerbeck, the cyclists are surprised by wonderful distant views. Between small wooded areas the fields light up and somewhere a church tower always points the way. The tallest among them marks Billerbeck Cathedral from a distance. Shortly before the town, the Kolvenburg surprises with its cultural offerings. You may already have noticed that sandstone is an important and typical building material in the region. In the Sandstone Museum in Havixbeck you can get to the bottom of its history.

The castles and palaces of the Münsterland are places of history and stories. Some of the most beautiful were told by the great poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. Her birthplace, Hülshoff Castle near Havixbeck, is undoubtedly one of the highlights of this cycle tour. The extensive park provides a unique setting for the famous castle. Beautiful paths surround the buildings, which also house the Droste Museum. As a "Centre for Literature", Hülshoff Castle plays a very special role in the cultural heritage of the region.

The 100 Castles Route follows in the footsteps of Droste to the picturesque Haus Rüschhaus. The building, designed by Johann Conrad Schlaun, is a mixture of farmhouse and French country residence and was completed in 1748. Not only the builder lived in the Rüschhaus for some time. Annette von Droste-Hülshoff also lived here and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and the baroque park. You are now within sight of Münster again, which is only a few kilometres away.