You can discover the most beautiful sides of southern Münsterland on this varied circular tour. The junction route connects the towns of Senden and Lüdinghausen. Nordkirchen Castle - also known as the Westphalian Versailles - can be included as an optional detour. A total of four palaces and castles (five including Nordkirchen Castle) are among the impressive highlights of the circular tour.
Your leisurely tour starts at the moated castle of Senden, whose buildings bring 500 years of architectural history and its stylistic epochs to life. The "Café über den Wassern" will open in the leaning manor house for the 2026 season.
From the castle, the route leads to the first junction (64) on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. Through the rural region, the route leads quietly and with few inclines to one of the oldest castles in Münsterland - Kakesbeck Castle. It can be seen at any time from the walled outer bailey.
After a further seven kilometres, you reach the medieval Vischering Castle. It is home to a museum, which is dedicated to the history of the castle in a varied and interactive way and also provides an insight into the development of castles and fortresses in the Münsterland and their aristocratic culture. The "Café Reitstall" is located in the outer bailey.
Just a few hundred metres away is Lüdinghausen Castle in the heart of the town - a typical Renaissance castle that is now used as a socio-cultural centre for a wide variety of purposes. We recommend a walk around the castle moat and the nearby Parc de Taverny.
From Lüdinghausen, you can either cycle back to Senden along the Dortmund-Ems Canal or optionally extend the circular tour to the magnificent Nordkirchen Castle and the villages of Ottmarsbocholt and Venne (plus 19 km).
The route to Nordkirchen leads through a flat, rural region to Nordkirchen Castle. The three-winged, baroque moated castle with chapel is an impressive example of great architecture. Its extensive park is one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe.
It is also rural in and around Ottmarsbocholt. Here it is worth taking a detour to the old Spieker (granary) and bakery on Dorfstraße before continuing through the village centre past St. Urban's Church to the tree nature trail. After another five kilometres, you reach the scattered settlement of Venne, the centre of which is the small parish church of St. John the Baptist. Its ornamental wooden ceiling painting from the 16th century is unique in Westphalia.
A few kilometres further on, at the famous Venner Moor nature reserve, it is worth leaving your bikes for a moment at the start of the boardwalk and experiencing the home of many rare animal and plant species. Several circular hiking trails lead around the large water-filled peat bogs and through the area, which is largely forested with birch and pine trees.
Finally, the harbour square in Senden awaits: Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere on the terraces along the Dortmund-Ems Canal, watch passing ships and round off the tour in a cosy atmosphere.
Senden - Lüdinghausen:
64 - 3 - 22 - 21 - 99
Return Lüdinghausen - Senden:
99 - 21 - (direction 45, turn right after crossing the Dortmund-Ems Canal) - 3 - 64
or
Optional extension: Lüdinghausen - Nordkirchen - Ottmarsbocholt - Venne - Senden:
99 - 4 - 30 - 17 - 33 - 17 - 28 - 37 - 8 - 39 - 55 - 92 - 93 - 64
You can view the complete route on the map (downloads), orange = complete tour, return Lüdinghausen-Senden = green. Or you can plan it with our tour planner.
