Cycling from Billerbeck in the Münsterland – we were on the road with rental bikes and made two nice trips. A beautiful and relaxing way to discover a region.
Cycling in Münsterland: Billerbeck – Hülshoff Castle – Billerbeck
Our rental bikes (e-bikes) were already ready when we arrived in Billerbeck. We quickly adjusted the saddle to the right height and put on the bike helmet and the cycling in Münsterland could begin.
Our route of the first tour can be easily followed on the map.
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My first impression on our trip – here are more “mountains / hills” than I would have suspected. We as “Flachländer” from Berlin, feel every elevation over 20 meters already as a mountain and we had to cope with so some during the trip.
I found the varied ride particularly beautiful. It went past cow meadows and fields. We rode on forest paths, were on well-built and paved bike paths and bumped over cobblestones with the bikes.
A relaxing ride that brought us closer to Münsterland.
Stopover: Hülshoff Castle
The destination of our first bike tour is in the municipality of Havixbeck about 10 kilometers west of Münster. The Westphalian castle Hülshoff dates back to the 11th century and is located in the middle of a beautiful park. The moated castle is the birthplace of the great German poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797 – 1848).
Around 1417, the ancestors of Annette Droste zu Hülshoff acquired the knight’s seat and had it converted into a manor house. With the acquisition of the property, the Droste zu Hülshoff family took the name Droste zu Hülshoff. The beautiful Renaissance grounds have been preserved almost unchanged to this day. Today you can visit the park free of charge. The moated castle houses the Droste Museum, which provides an insight into the life of the author. A small restaurant, where we ate delicious cake, is also located here.
Directly at the large parking lot in front of the castle complex are numerous bicycle racks. All the spaces were occupied and so we placed the rental bikes as far as possible to the edge so that they could not obstruct anyone.
Afterwards, we strolled leisurely through the park. A path leads around the impressive complex of buildings. We walk to the tea house, which is located in a small wooded area, and then into the spacious open park. Here I discover a bust of Annette Droste zu Hülshoff.
A really nice destination that is easily accessible by bike from Münster as well as from our starting point Billerbeck.
Address:
Schonebeck 6 D-48329 Havixbeck
Opening hours:
in the main season daily 11-18.30 Pre and post season Wednesday-Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. The exact dates can be found on the website
Admission fees (museum):
Adults: 5,-€ Discounts are offered. The park can be visited free of charge.
Short stops while cycling in the Münsterland region
If you keep your eyes open a bit, you can discover a lot during the bike tour. The Münsterland is also a horse country. Everywhere there are paddocks and small riding areas. We also passed some farms by bike and saw many a horse.
At the monastery Tibeck we made a short photo stop. Really a beautiful facility that houses the most diverse projects from barefoot park to help for people with disabilities.
The Schulze Westerath watermill on the upper reaches of the Stever near Nottuln was also directly on our route while cycling in the Münsterland. The museum mill has been restored and is still fully functional today. It is the oldest surviving structure on this farm and dates from the late Middle Ages. Since the building can only be visited by appointment (and we didn’t know that beforehand), we were unfortunately only able to take a look at the mill from the road.
With tired legs we arrived back in Billerbeck after a great round trip. The next day our second bike tour should take place.
Cycling in Münsterland: Billerbeck – Steinfurt – Billerbeck
Already when climbing and the first steps I notice that the tour the day before has irritated my knee a bit. As soon as I pedal a little harder, it stings. So I’m glad to be able to take advantage of the support of the motor and use the e-bike as it is intended – with motor!
Spontaneously we decide to adjust our route, you can see the course on the map.
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We will drive the outward and return trip via the RadBahn Münsterland. The advantage of this route, it is excellently developed and almost flat. Of course, it is also a bit more monotonous from the experience factor, it just goes straight ahead.
But even here you can discover quite a bit: old marker stones, remains of the signal and sign installations of the old railroad line and the old station buildings. Some of these invite you to take a leisurely rest and also offer charging stations for the e-bikes.
The destination of our second bike tour is Steinfurt.
Steinfurt
Steinfurt is a district town with about 35000 inhabitants in the Münsterland. In 1975, the towns of Borghorst and Burgsteinfurt were merged to form the town of Steinfurt. We will be on the road in the district of Burgsteinfurt. So we leave the RadBahn and head for our first destination, the district educational garden in the Burgsteinfurt district.
Educational garden Steinfurt
We can park the bicycles in front of the entrance and then enter the district educational garden through the small entrance gate free of charge.
A small, well almost a large paradise awaits us. On about 30,000 m² are the most diverse plants, expect us tips and suggestions for the design of a garden. It is a demonstration and training garden, which also offers its visitors workshops on horticultural topics.
We roam the grounds for over an hour, discovering beautiful flowering plants, secluded spots for a short break and can watch the gardeners at work. There are also information stations where you can learn about nesting boxes or the insect-friendly garden, for example.
In one area we discover numerous fruit trees with apples and pears. It is tempting to pick an apple and eat it fresh. But that is not necessary at all. The fruit planted here is sold freshly harvested in the district educational garden.
We really enjoyed the visit to the district educational garden. For photographers, the variety of plants is simply a dream. Here you can photograph beautiful plants. Yes, and for gardening enthusiasts, the Kreislehrgarten is a source of inspiration in terms of garden design and botany.
Address:
Wemhöferstiege 33 48565 Steinfurt
Opening hours:
daily: sunrise to sunset
Fruit sale (August -December) Monday-Thursday: 7.30 a.m. – 4.30 p.m. Friday: 7.30 – 12 o’clock
Admission fees:
free
Steinfurt Bagno and Steinfurt Castle
The Steinfurter Bagno park is located in the Burgsteinfurt district. We rode our bikes through the park for a bit.
The Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt founded the park in 1765. He wanted to create an excursion opportunity for his family directly adjacent to Burgsteinfurt Castle.
Initially, a French garden was created with straight paths and a regulated structure. After Count Ludwig took over the county, the lake began to be expanded and design elements from various regions were incorporated into the park. However, the count exaggerated his design idea. 105 different objects were created, which cluttered the area more than they embellished it. At the beginning of the 19th century, the costs for the park could no longer be met. The buildings and the park began to fall into disrepair. In 2004 the park was redesigned and today visitors can enjoy a beautiful recreational area.
We rode our bikes along the man-made lake. From the shore you can see the small islands. On one island there is an artificial ruin. Over a chain bridge we reach a small island, the Arion Island. The circular route is beautiful.
Near the park entrance of the former French garden stands Steinfurt Castle. The moated castle with fortifications from the 10th century stands on an artificial hill. Unfortunately, you can only take part in a guided tour here on the 1st Friday of the month by appointment. We were left only the view from the bank of the moat.
After a short walk through the pedestrian zone, we returned to Billerbeck.
Cycling in Münsterland was a nice experience for us, which we will certainly repeat in other regions of the Münsterland.
Disclosure: The bikes were provided to us by Münsterland e.V. and 2Rad Bergmann. Münsterland e.V. also gave us the suggestions for the two tours, many thanks!
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