Of knights' gates and water castles

We take a close look at the Haus Nottbeck manor at the end of the cycle tour. First you ride up a small hill towards Stromberg. The panoramic view from the small place of pilgrimage over the Münsterland is unique. The perfect moment for a first rest.

The Stromberg plum, a small variety of plum, has become quite famous. From the magnificent blossom in April to the harvest in September, about 15,000 plum trees enchant the landscape. No wonder that the area around the Stromberg castle ruins is a popular destination for excursions. The plum became native to Stromberg in 1790. More than 220 years later, the EU has granted the Stromberg plum the status of a Protected Designation of Origin.

Before you reach the pretty town centre of Oelde by bike, it is worth stopping at the Four Seasons Park. A lively park with wide expanses of water, flowering flower beds, a children's museum, playgrounds and restaurants has been created on the site of the former state garden show. With a view over the park, you could dream away the day on one of the many chairs and sun loungers. But it shouldn't take too long before you wake up again. There is still a lot to experience.

Tip: Before your tour, it's worth taking a look at the events calendar. There's always something going on in the Four Seasons Park.

The "Lippe Renaissance" comes alive at the moated castle of Haus Geist. The castle, which is now privately inhabited, looks back on an eventful history. The three-winged castle complex changed hands several times and was bequeathed to the Jesuit Order in 1661. After the dissolution of the Jesuit order, Haus Geist passed to the prince-bishopric of Münster in 1773. In the course of secularisation in 1803, the Prussian state became the legal successor to the prince-bishopric. It was not until 1884 that the castle found its current tenant, the Pellengahr family.

The moated castle is surrounded by the"Geisterholz" forest. Your cycle path leads you past the edge of the enchanted forest area and after a short time you reach the typical open landscape of the Münsterland again.

About halfway through your cycle tour you will come across the imposing Rheda Castle. The fact that this is a moated castle becomes clear at the latest when you see the Ems. Germany's smallest river winds its way past the castle and park. The magnificent interiors and the carriage museum can be experienced up close on a guided tour. The centrepiece of the moated castle is the double chapel, unique in Westphalia, whose history and construction still fascinate today.

The green oasis of Flora Westfalica opens up just a few steps away. The rose garden, picnic barn, Emsaue and the lakeside café are lovely places to spend time in the park. There is still time to take a stroll through the old town of Rheda-Wiedenbrück. The charm of the alleys and half-timbered houses will delight you.

At the end of your cycle tour, the Ritterhaus Gut Nottbeck awaits you. Under the fruit trees, now would be just the right time for a picnic or "Kulturpäuschen", as it is called at the cultural estate Haus Nottbeck. If you wish, you can have your picnic basket filled on site.

Culture is very important here, after all, the manor is home to the "Museum of Westphalian Literature". The museum is anything but dusty, although the "star" of the exhibition, a copy of the Cologne Bible, is well over 500 years old. Interesting and modern, you can discover history and stories here and almost forget the time. The listening islands scattered around the park are a special experience. Modernity and history, landscape and culture - the Haus Nottbeck cultural estate creates contrasts and connections. Just like the entire cycle tour.