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Star tour of Münster: Park landscape and moated castles
Day 1 - Make your own way to Münster
Arrival in Münster and check-in in at 3 pm in the hotel. Time for a first visit of the old town.
Tour 1: Haus Langen – Telgte (45 km)
This tour initially leads to the Dortmund-Ems Canal and through Boniburgerwald. This pleasant stretch along the Werse takes you into the suburb of Handorf, also known as the ‚Dorf der großen Kaffeekannen’ (“village of the large coffee pots”) as it has always been an attractive destination for the inhabitants of Münster. Shortly after crossing the Ems, you come across Haus Langen and the adjacent natural protection area. You can take in nature with a range of viewing towers, platforms and benches. Cycling through this green landscape, you will arrive in the small pilgrimage town of Telgte with its small half-timbered houses, a beautiful market square, and the Baroque pilgrimage chapel. The route back to Münster lead through the Emsauerpark and the Delsener Heide to the farming community of Kasewinkel. It is worth taking a break at the historical country inn Pleistermühle with its beer garden before you return to the city of Münster along the tree-lined shores of the Werse.
Tour 2: Schloss Senden – Senden (49 km)
This tour takes you along the Aasee via Mecklenbeck and Albachten to Schloss Senden. The route back is along the Dortmund-Ems-Kanals, past the enchanted Venner Moor and the Hitruper See. From the Aasee you reach the suburb of Mecklenbeck. You then go past Haus Ruhr, a seat of nobility from the 18th Century, built by Johann Conrad Schlaun. You then pass through woods and meadows to the Stever, which takes you to the castle with its lovely café. Alternatively you can stop off at Hof Grothues-Potthoff, which offers regional dishes and a wide selection of cakes. Once replenished, continue back to Münster. Just past Senden you meet the Dortmund-Ems canal and cycle past Hiltruper See and the harbour back to Münster.
Tour 3: Baumberge / Longinusturm – Havixbeck (48 km)
This tour takes you to the Longinusturm, constructed on the highest point in Münsterland (188 m) in the Baumberge hills. During the journey you come across Burg Hülshoff with its lovely parkland and café, as well as Vögeding. The Longinusturm provides a spectacular view over Münsterland. The tower was constructed at the start of the 20th Century and is of the typical lime sandstone of the Baumberg hills. The return route, mostly downhill, takes you through the beautiful parkland back to the city.
Tour 4: Burg Hülshoff (27 km)
This cycling excursion leads to one of the most wellknown castles in Münsterland, Burg Hülshoff . Before this, you will come across Schloss Münster. Schloss Münster is by far the largest property in Münster and since 1954 has housed the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität. Behind the castle are the Botanical Gardens in the park. Continue out of Münster past Haus Rüschhaus to Burg Hülshoff , the birthplace and childhood home of Annette von Droste- Hülshoff . The return route is through Roxel to the Aasee lake and along Aaseeterrasse back to the hotel.
Tour 5: Rieselfelder Münster – Gimbte (44 or 60 km)
You first cycle around the city of Münster on the promenade to the Zwinger, part of the old city fortifi cations. You cycle through the Wienburgpark in Münster Münster Nord to the Rieselfeldern, a European bird sanctuary. It off ers refuge to many endangered bird species and is a popular excursion destination for Münster residents. Th e route is planned so that you have enough time to explore the Rieselfelder on foot or by bike From the ‘golden village’ of Gimbte (the tour can also be shortened here), you can take a loop along the Emsauen Greven to the Aldruper Heide. Mighty oak trees line the path at the golf course. On the way to the junction of the Ems and canal waterways, typical Münsterland asparagus dishes are on off er in some farm shops during the asparagus season. On the way back, continue along the canal to the Münster lock system and through the Erphoviertel district back to the hotel.
Tour 6: Hohe Ward – Hiltruper See (31 km)
This tour leads you along the Dortmund-Ems Canal to the forest area of Hohe Ward and all the way to Hiltruper See. The Hohe Ward serves as a local recreation area. Shady paths lead through the nature reserve of Wolbecker Tiergarten all the way to the stunningly beautiful Werserradweg (cycling trail). The way back passes the Drostenhof, a manor house dating back to the 16th century. On the way back, you will follow the picturesquely woven river Werse leading to the gates of Münster. After a short detour Lütkenbeck, it is back to the hotel.
Tour 7: Münster – Sculpture Projects (18 km)
On this route you will experience art in the open. The ‘Skulptur Projekte’ art exhibition takes place in Münster every 10 years. Some of the sculptures then become a fixed part of the urban landscape. Along with the ‘Skulp-tur Projekte’, there are other installations that you can visit today on your tour. You start off cycling towards Aasee, a large artificial lake in the centre of Münster with lovely lakeside paths. Here you will find the ‘Giant Pool Balls’ by Claes Oldenburg, perhaps the most well-known work of the Skulptur Projekte. Past the Wilhelms-Univer-sität you continue to the promenade, a car-free boulevard laid along the city’s old ring of fortifications and which takes you along a shady path once round the city centre. It is worth visiting the Friedensaal in the Town Hall, the St. Pauls Dom with the world clock or one of the many museums.
Please note: All cycling distances stated above are approximate only.
