100 Castles Route in the south of Münsterland
The cycle tour starts in Germany's cycling capital, which alone is worth an extensive tour - and not just because of the magnificent castle grounds. Heading south, there are not only architectural highlights such as the "Versailles of Westphalia", Nordkirchen Castle and Vischering Castle with the Münsterland Museum. There are also smaller treasures to discover, such as Haus Rüschhaus with its baroque garden in Nienberge-Havixbeck. The poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff spent a large part of her life here. She was born nearby in the moated castle of Hülshoff, which is also home to the Droste Museum on the history of the aristocratic family from Münster.
Cyclists on the southern route will only work up a sweat because of the many castles and manor houses; the cycle paths and farm tracks are mostly very flat and away from road traffic. The white sign with the green castle shows the way. And if you have acquired a taste for cycling, you can also tackle the other circular routes of the 100 Castles Route from Münster. The huge network of paths also allows for countless day trips.
GPS data
You can find the GPX track for this tour in the MYBIKE Collection on komoot
Journey:
Münster is easy to reach by train from all regions of Germany, www.bahn.de
Tour combinations:
100 Castles Route East Course, West Course, North Course, D-Route 3, Werse Cycle Route, Pilgrim Route D7, German Football Route
Accommodation tips:
Hotel Zum Wolfsjäger in Ascheberg-Herbern, www.hotel-wolfsjaeger.de
Hotel Lohmann in Drensteinfurt, www.hotel-restaurant-lohmann.de
Schleinershof in Havixbeck, www.schleinershof.de
Gasthof Kruse in Nottuln, http://hotel-kruse.de
Palaces and castles:
Münster Castle and Westerwinkel Castle, www.muensterland-tourismus.de
Vischering Castle in Lüdinghausen, www.burg-vischering.de
Nordkirchen Castle, www.schloss.nordkirchen.net
Hülshoff Castle near Havixbeck, www.burg-huelshoff.de
Organised trips:
6 days individual round trip on the South Course with B&B, luggage transfer at www.muensterland-tourismus.de
Maps and literature:
Bikeline cycle tour book "100-Schlösser-Route" with maps 1:75,000, 120 p., 13.90 euros.
Information:
www.muensterland-tourismus.de
The full article was published in Trekkingbike issue 2/2017.
Cycle tours to castles and fortresses
You can find further tour tips on the topic of castles and palaces in this tour collection
