Discover Borken: Moated Castles, Cycling Routes and Culture

Moated castles and an extensive network of cycling routes define the Borken district. It is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Münster administrative district and north of the Ruhr area. As the westernmost district of Münsterland, it shares a 108-kilometre border with the Dutch regions of Achterhoek and Twente; its location makes cross-border excursions possible. Attractive landscapes and historic buildings, including moated castles and manor houses with parks, lend the region its varied character.

Gemen Castle and the history of the town

Gemen Castle was built more than 900 years ago and stands on two islands in the former marshland of the Bocholter Aa. Since 1946, it has been run by the Diocese of Münster as a youth education centre under the name “Jugendburg Gemen”. Another aspect of Gemen’s history is the Freiheit Gemen: it forms a distinctive historic urban ensemble and has been documented as a separate legal district since the Middle Ages. This was associated with a special legal status.

The landscape also has its own landmarks. From Gemen Castle Park, the approximately three-kilometre-long Sternbusch Avenue runs north to a bird sanctuary and further woodland. The approximate length and direction make the avenue a concrete example of how cultural history and landscape exist side by side in the Borken district.

Cycling routes and flexible trip planning

More than 5,000 kilometres of well-maintained cycling routes in the Borken district invite you to explore away from busy roads. Themed routes in the district and Münsterland include the 100 Castles Route, the Hohe Mark Cycle Route and the Flamingo Route. In Münsterland, the junction network makes it easy to plan flexible trips across state and district borders. In Vreden, the 100 Castles Route, the EuroVelo 3 route R1 and the Flamingo Route meet. This is a useful landmark if you want to plan your cycling trip around specific routes; the junctions also leave room to plan your own itinerary.

By the water, in the countryside and getting hands-on

At Pröbsting Lake in Borken, a five-kilometre path runs all the way around the lake. Visitors can hire pedal boats at the boathouse. This offers two different ways to experience the water: a walk along the shore and a ride on the lake.

The free nature discovery area at Raesfeld Castle Wildlife Park offers activities for the whole family across 5,000 square metres. These include climbing and balancing trails, a low ropes course, a pinecone-throwing game, a branch-building area and other nature-based play activities. If you would rather go for a walk, the castle park at Velen Castle is a starting point for longer routes through the adjoining wildlife park. At the Bocholt Handicrafts Museum, you can not only see traditional crafts but also try them yourself.

Culture and regional events

At the kult Westmünsterland in Vreden, visitors can explore an exhibition on the history and culture of West Münsterland and the neighbouring Dutch region of Achterhoek. The permanent exhibition looks at borders through a range of themes: trade and transport, smuggling and the law, faith and religion, globalisation and regional identity, and past and present. A visit to the museum thus adds to the cross-border perspective that also characterises the district’s location.

Various organisers host exhibitions, concerts and events throughout the year across the district. If a particular programme is important to your trip, check the dates for your travel period. Information about activities, package tours and group trips is available from local tourist information offices and associations in the Borken district.

Choose the right focus for your accommodation search

The experiences mentioned offer different focal points: history and architecture in Gemen, cycling routes in the district, culture in Vreden, or nature and water activities at the various excursion destinations. You can then focus your search on the place that best fits your plans. If you want to include several cycling destinations, you can also make use of the flexible trip-planning options in Münsterland.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Legden, Vreden, Velen, Stadtlohn, Schöppingen, Rhede, Raesfeld, Isselburg, Gronau, Gescher, Borken, Heiden, Bocholt, Ahaus, Reken, Südlohn, Heek.

Back to the main travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.