100 Castles Route | South course

The city of Münster is the heart of the region and thus the perfect starting point for a cycle tour on the southern course of the 100 Castles Route. Before starting the cycle tour, it is always worth taking a look at the city's sights. These include the imposing St. Paul's Cathedral and the St. Lamberti Church, the Prinzipalmarkt, Münster's "parlour" and the Erbdrostenhof.

From the starting point, Münster Castle, the 100 Castles Route first leads along the promenade out of the city centre. Only a few kilometres from Münster, the 100 Castles Route already winds through meadows and forests, the Münsterland park landscape. Some quaint farmsteads and lovely villages with great restaurants, cafés and beer gardens invite you to enjoy and take short breaks on the bike tour. Past manor houses such as Drostenhof Wolbeck or Haus Brückhausen in Everswinkel, the southern course leads to Ascheberg. In addition to the beautiful Westerwinkel Castle, there is also the Davensberg Castle Tower to marvel at.

From Ascheberg, the 100 Castles Route now leads to what is probably the best-known castle in the Münsterland region, Nordkirchen Castle, also known as the Westphalian Versailles. The imposing castle and the beautifully landscaped park are an absolute must on a cycle tour in southern Münsterland. From Nordkirchen Castle, the 100 Castles Route now continues via Olfen, past Sandfort House, to the castle town of Lüdinghausen. Next to Lüdinghausen Castle is Vischering Castle, a massive moated castle from the Middle Ages, which is now home to an exciting museum on the Münsterland castles and palaces region. In addition to the museum, there is also a café here: the perfect place for a short break on the 100 Castles Route.

From here, the themed route heads north again, past Senden Castle, which is now being meticulously restored after a long period of decay, with a lot of heart and soul put into it by the sponsoring association. Beyond Senden, the hilly landscape of the Baumberge awaits the cyclists and several small, historic town centres, such as the picturesque old town of Nottuln, the town centre of Billerbeck with its imposing cathedral or Havixbeck. In Billerbeck the Kolvenburg castle and in Havixbeck the sandstone museum are particularly worth seeing. Behind Havixbeck the landscape becomes flatter again and not far away lies the end of the cycle tour on the southern course.

But before the 100 Castles Route leads back to Münster, cyclists can expect to see some exciting places that tell the story of the great poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. One very special place is Hülshoff Castle, the house where she was born and undoubtedly one of the highlights on the 100 Castles Route. The castle is home to the Droste Museum and part of the local "Center for Literature", which means that Hülshoff Castle plays a very special role in the cultural heritage of the region. And the extensive park with its magnificent views of the beautiful building also delights every visitor. The last treasures on the 100 Castles Route are Haus Vögeding and Haus Rüschhaus, the route then leads back to the starting point of the cycle tour.

Münster is a good place to start the southern leg of the 100 Castles Route, especially because of its good connections to regional and long-distance transport.

By bus and train to Münster:

• Main railway station: Münster (Westf.)
• Main hub in Münsterland
• Bus and rail connections to the municipalities of Münsterland
• Connections to long-distance traffic

By car to Münster:

• Coming from the south and north: A1 motorway at the Münster-Nord junction (77), then take the B54 towards Münster.
  
• Coming from the east: Bundesstraße 51 in the direction of Münster.
• Coming from the west: Follow the A43 motorway in the direction of Münster, which automatically becomes Weseler Straße and leads to Münster.