Discover Rinkerode

St. Pankratius Church, a mill and equipment museum, historic walking tours and the wooded Davert offer different perspectives on Rinkerode and its surroundings. Those interested in culture will find tangible architectural and industrial history here; marked paths and routes can also be explored on foot or by bike. The priorities you choose may also influence where you stay in Rinkerode.

Church and milling technology

The present-day St. Pankratius Church in Rinkerode was built by Gottfried Laurenz Pictorius between 1721 and 1724. The dates and the architect, known by name, give the church building a specific historical context. Those interested in the town’s history can combine a visit to the church with a trip to the mill and equipment museum, where original exhibits illustrate historical flour production and milling technology.

A special feature of the museum is its steam engine. It can still be viewed and set in motion today, although no longer using steam. The focus is therefore not just on the equipment itself, but also on how it worked: the exhibition shows how milling technology is connected to grain processing. The museum is located directly on federal highway 54, south of Münster. The church and museum thus offer two different ways to explore Rinkerode’s history—through church architecture and through the technical work of a mill.

Walking tours and routes in Rinkerode

The “Historic Walking Tour of Rinkerode” comprises 21 information panels. They are located in and outside the town, and the tour can be explored on foot or by bike. The route was established in 2011. With its number of panels and their distribution, it provides a clearly defined way to get to know Rinkerode at several stops, rather than focusing on just one point of interest.

The “Historic Town Walking Tour” in Drensteinfurt and Rinkerode is also signposted. For a hike, R 02 is another option: the circular route starts at St. Pankratius Church and leads to Haus Borg after about 2.5 kilometres; from there, it returns to Rinkerode. R 02 follows the main hiking trails marked X 3, X 15 and X 14, as well as a connecting path marked with a diamond. These route markers provide practical guidance when choosing and following the route.

Davert: nature and cycling

At 2,228 hectares, the Davert is the largest deciduous forest area in the Münsterland region. It is protected as a nature reserve, an FFH area and a bird protection area, and forms part of the European natural heritage network NATURA 2000. R 02 passes through the wooded Davert and the Drensteinfurt district of Rinkerode. Those who focus on hiking will find a different emphasis here than on the historic walking tours in town: the route links the town with its surrounding landscape.

For cycling, the “Drensteinfurt Eight” offers a comparison on a different scale. The approximately 61-kilometre route passes through the three districts of Drensteinfurt, Rinkerode and Walstedde and can be divided into two stages. While the Historic Walking Tour of Rinkerode comprises 21 panels in and outside the town, the Drensteinfurt Eight describes a longer cycling route through three districts. The different route formats help you weigh up a tour with historic stops, a circular hike or a multi-stage cycling route.

When looking for accommodation in Rinkerode, you can first consider what you want your stay to centre on: church architecture and milling technology, the stops on historic walking tours, routes through the Davert or a longer cycling tour. The verified local and route information offers concrete starting points, without requiring you to limit your stay to just one way of exploring.

For the main travel overview: Drensteinfurt.