Riesenbeck: Equestrian Sports, Culture and Views

Get to know Riesenbeck through equestrian sports, architectural history and excursions to the Nasses Dreieck. When planning your trip, you can choose a focus: will a competition be the occasion for your visit, would you like to explore historic sites, or would you rather spend time on trails and at viewpoints? The different themes offer concrete starting points for choosing experiences that suit your stay.

Equestrian sports and trails at Surenburg

Since 2016, Riesenbeck International has organized year-round equestrian competitions and training events at the equestrian sports center at Surenburg. The program includes show jumping, dressage and driving. At the summer tournament in June, competitions in all three disciplines take place concurrently over one weekend. Dates vary from year to year. So if you are traveling specifically for a competition, check the dates for the relevant year.

The 100 Castles Route also starts in Riesenbeck, at the scenic moated castle of Surenburg, near the equestrian sports center. If you are using the route as the basis for your plans, check the local signposting. Surenburg Forest is also on the Münsterland Equestrian Route between Rheine and Lienen. Riders can use unpaved, natural trails around Surenburg.

Architectural history and viewpoints

The Riesenbeck Agricultural Machinery Museum displays more than 600 objects that were once used in agricultural production and farmhouses. St. Calixtus Church tells another part of the town’s history: it was built from 1807 to 1809 to designs by building inspector Friedrich Wilhelm Müser. Its Romanesque predecessor had previously been demolished because it was dilapidated.

A fully functioning horse gin has been preserved in Riesenbeck as a technical rarity; it is considered unique in Westphalia. Schöne Aussicht combines a historic connection with far-reaching views: the town of Hörstel placed it under a preservation order on October 27, 1999. It lies 116 meters above sea level and offers views of Riesenbeck and far across the Münsterland region.

You can reach Schöne Aussicht on foot via the Hermannsweg, or by car or bicycle via Am Teutohang and Teutostraße; parking is available. This makes it easy to include the viewpoint in a hike or drive without making a visit to a competition or cultural site the main focus of your trip.

Waterways and time outdoors

The Nasses Dreieck in the Bergeshövede farming community of Riesenbeck is a popular destination for day trips. Hikers, cyclists and water sports enthusiasts can enjoy the surrounding landscape there; the footbridge remains open for use. The Red Box information pavilion at the Nasses Dreieck focuses on waterways, canal construction and sights in the surrounding area. This spot brings together the experience of the landscape and insights into the history of its waterways.

For cycle tourists, the route of the Dortmund-Ems Canal Cycle Path is a useful landmark: it runs directly alongside the motorhome park in Riesenbeck. Those interested in riding can find natural trails in Surenburg Forest around Surenburg.

More to discover in the wider destination of Hörstel

The wider destination of Hörstel also offers its own cultural and natural attractions. DA Kunsthaus Kloster Gravenhorst provides an experiential space for contemporary, interdisciplinary art and culture that invites visitors to take part and reflect. The church, convent building, mill, millpond, bakehouse and brewery, monastery wall and historic bridges convey the image of an almost completely preserved monastery complex. Guided tours cover the history of the monastery and its art; there are also theatrical tours featuring historical characters on the first and third Sundays of each month. Group tours can be booked by arrangement.

In Bevergern, also part of the wider destination of Hörstel, St. Mary’s Parish Church is a late Gothic hall church with a polygonal choir dating from the 15th century and richly decorated interiors. In 1686, its tower was raised using ashlar blocks from Bevergern Castle, which was blown up in 1680; further additions followed in 1759, 1767 and 1937. The Küsterei in Bevergern is a half-timbered gable house with a half-hipped roof dating from 1663 and is one of Bevergern’s oldest houses. As a former smallholder’s house, it has a large threshing floor behind the entrance gate.

For activities on the water, the 57-hectare Torfmoor recreation area in Hörstel includes the lake of the same name, Torfmoorsee. Visitors can sail, fish and windsurf there; the sandy beach and sunbathing lawn offer space to relax in the sun. Hörstel’s landscape is also shaped by the transition from the Münsterland park landscape to the Teutoburg Forest, with the 95-meter-high Huckberg. Culture, water sports and scenery are all distinct reasons to consider including the wider destination in your plans.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Dreierwalde, Bevergern.

Back to the main travel overview: Hörstel.