Spreading north from the Ruhrgebiet to the border with Lower Saxony sits the cultural Coesfeld District. Filled with museums, moated castles, medieval villages and theaters — there is plenty to keep everyone entertained.
Coesfeld District Map
Cities, Towns & Villages in the Coesfeld District
The area is closely linked to the ancient bishopric of Münster and to Saint Ludger. The first bishop of Münster apparently founded the district capital himself — Coesfeld — and amongst many other buildings and structures, there is a cathedral named in his honor in Bitterbeck, with its impressive towers.
Amongst the 100 or so preserved castles and palaces in this region, you will find four magnificent examples here — three alone in Lüdinghausen: The overwhelming Burg Vischering — one of the largest in northern Germany –, the Burg Lüdinghausen, a water castle, and the Burg Wolfsberg, which actually looks like a condo.
The fourth is the imposing red-brick Schloss Nordkirchen, further south in Nordkirchen. There are no defensive hills to build castles on here, so they were defended with great moats and towers.
Dülmen houses a quarter of the Coesfeld District’s population as it is an attractive business location. It is also the setting for the Dülmener Sommertheater, which attracts thousands of visitors every summer to enjoy the live performances.
And in autumn there is the international Figurentheatertage — a very popular puppet theater and exhibition.