100 Castles Route | South course

The city of Münster is the heart of the region and therefore the perfect starting point for a cycle tour on the southern section of the 100 Castles Route. Before setting off on your cycle tour, it is definitely worth taking a look at the city's sights. These include the imposing St Paul's Cathedral and St Lambert's 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. Just a few kilometres from Münster, the 100 Castles Route meanders through meadows and forests, the Münsterland parkland. A number of quaint farmsteads and charming villages with great restaurants, cafés and beer gardens invite you to take a break and enjoy the cycle tour. Passing manor houses such as Drostenhof Wolbeck or Haus Brückhausen in Everswinkel, the southern route leads to Ascheberg. The route first leads to the Davensberg castle tower before reaching the beautiful Westerwinkel Castle. The historic Haus Venne is well worth a detour.

From Ascheberg, the 100 Castles Route now leads to what is probably the most famous castle in Münsterland, Nordkirchen Castle, also known as the Westphalian Versailles. The imposing castle and beautifully landscaped park are an absolute must on a cycle tour in southern Münsterland. From Nordkirchen Castle, the 100 Castles Route continues via Olfen to the castle town of Lüdinghausen. In addition to Lüdinghausen Castle, there is also Vischering Castle, a massive moated castle from the Middle Ages, which is now home to an exciting museum about the Münsterland castles and castle 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 painstakingly restored after a long period of decay and with a great deal of passion on the part of the support association. After Senden, the hilly landscape of the Baumberge and several small, historic town centres await cyclists, such as the picturesque old town of Nottuln, the town centre of Billerbeck with its imposing cathedral and Havixbeck. The Kolvenburg castle in Billerbeck and the sandstone museum in Havixbeck are particularly worth a visit. After Havixbeck, the landscape flattens out again and the end of the cycle tour on the southern route is not far away.

But before the 100 Castles Route leads back to Münster, cyclists can look forward to a few more exciting places that tell the story of the great poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. One very special place is Hülshoff Castle, her birthplace and undoubtedly one of the highlights on the 100 Castles Route. The castle is home to the Droste Museum and part of the local "Centre for Literature", giving Hülshoff Castle a very special role in the region's cultural heritage. The extensive park with its marvellous views of the beautiful building also delights every visitor. The last treasures on the 100 Castles Route are Haus Vögeding and Haus Rüschhaus, and the route then leads back to the starting point of the cycle tour.

Münster is a good starting point for the southern section 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 junction in the Münsterland region
• Bus and train connections to the municipalities of Münsterland
• Connections to long-distance transport

By car to Münster:

• Coming from the south and north: A1 motorway at the Münster-Nord motorway junction (77), then on the B54 towards Münster.
  
• Coming from the east: Take the B51 motorway towards Münster.
• Coming from the west: Follow the A43 motorway in the direction of Münster, which automatically becomes Weseler Straße and leads to Münster.