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100 Castles Route in Münsterland

Wednesday, 6 May 2026 - 11:00 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: European Union / Europäische Union
Category/Kategorie: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  5 minutes

🔊 Listen to this Post The 100 Castles Route is a cycling route in Münsterland, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The approximately 960 km long route winds its way largely away from main roads, following flat cycle paths from castles to moated castles, stately homes and farmsteads, castle parks and cottage gardens, monasteries and churches. In total, around 100 buildings are located along or near the route.

The cycle route is divided into four interconnected circular routes, named after the cardinal directions, ranging in length from 210 to 310 km. It lies almost entirely within the Münsterland region, with only a few short detours into neighboring areas. Shorter day trips on the “100 Castles Route” are also easily possible thanks to the Münsterland’s dense network of cycle paths. The route is mostly very flat, with only a few inclines in the Baumberge hills and the Tecklenburg region.

The route is particularly known for its flat terrain and the variety of sights along the way. Meadows, pastures, and hedgerows characterize the landscape. Cyclists will find such a multitude of famous castles, fortresses, and other historical buildings that the route description itself only highlights those that are “absolutely worth seeing.”

The 305 km long northern route, with 809 meters of elevation gain, runs clockwise from Münster, initially heading northwest via Billerbeck and Steinfurt to Bad Bentheim. Here you are already in Lower Saxony. The route continues eastward via Rheine and Tecklenburg to the Teutoburg Forest and then loops back to Münster. Near Rheine, the route crosses the Ems Valley. The cycle path mostly runs through a flat landscape with many fields and meadows. The region around Tecklenburg is hillier and more wooded. The following landmarks are particularly noteworthy along this circular route:

• Münster Castle
• Rüschhaus House
• Steinfurt Castle
• Bentheim Castle
• Iburg Castle
• Erbdrostenhof (Hereditary Steward’s Court)
• Hülshoff Castle
• Havixbeck House
• Stapel House in Havixbeck
• Tilbeck Abbey
• Welbergen House
• Bentlage Monastery
• Tecklenburg Castle

The 240 km long eastern route initially rejoins the final section of the northern route as far as Füchtorf and then turns south. It leads, with minimal elevation changes, into the Lippe Valley. Near Lippstadt, it briefly turns west before turning north again near Soest, heading back towards Münster. In addition to the aforementioned Münster Castle and the Erbdrostenhof, the following landmarks are highlighted:

• Vornholz House in Ostenfelde
• Loburg Castle in Ostbevern
• Hovestadt Castle in Lippetal
• Rheda Castle in Rheda-Wiedenbrück
• Harkotten Castle in Sassenberg
• Borg House in Drensteinfurt
• Liesborn Abbey in Wadersloh

The 210 km long southern route, with an elevation gain of 360 meters, also begins east of Münster and follows the route of the eastern route as far as Alverskirchen. It then winds in two loops to Hamm, continues west to Olfen, and then north via Lüdinghausen, Senden, and Nottuln to Billerbeck. From there, it follows the northern route back to Münster. In addition to the structures from the two aforementioned routes, the following are highlighted here:

• Senden Castle
• Westerwinkel Castle
• Vischering Castle
• Lüdinghausen Castle
• Nordkirchen Castle
• Hülshoff Castle
• Rüschhaus House

The 310-kilometer western route is the only one that doesn’t pass through Münster. It connects to the northern route between Coesfeld and Legden. From there, it leads south through the Baumberge hills and via Dülmen to Haltern am See. After a short stretch along the Lippe valley, it continues west via Lembeck, Raesfeld, and Bocholt to Isselburg. Here, the 100 Castles Route touches the border with the Netherlands. It then heads east via Rhede and Borken to Velen, and from there curves north via Südlohn, Vreden, Ahaus, and Heek back to Coesfeld. Apart from short climbs in the Baumberge hills, the landscape is remarkably flat. Particularly noteworthy moated castles along the western route include:

• Lembeck Castle
• Anholt Castle in Isselburg
• Gemen Castle
• Raesfeld Castle
• Ahaus Castle

Read more on muensterland.com – 100 Castles Route (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.