Münster (region)

The title of this article contains the character ü. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Muenster.

Regierungsbezirk Münster
Map of North Rhine-Westphalia highlighting the Regierungsbezirk of Regierungsbezirk Münster
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Region seat	Münster
Area
– Total	6,904.93 km2 (2,666 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2010)[1]
– Total	2,594,291
– Density	375.7/km2 (973.1/sq mi)
Website	bezreg-muenster.nrw.de

Münster is one of the five Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the north of the state, and named after the city of Münster. It includes the area which in medieval times was known as the Dreingau.

Regierungsbezirk Münster covers mostly the rural lands of the Münsterland which is famous for its castles, e.g. Castle Nordkirchen and Castle Ahaus. The region offers more the 100 castles, all linked up by the bike path 100 Schlösser Route.

Actually, the simplest way to explore the Münsterland is by bicycle. The mostly flat landscape with its architectural and cultural treasures invites cycling, both ambitious on-road riding (e.g. the Münsterland Giro race) and relaxed tours on unpaved rural roads, Pättkes (minor paths). Embedded in a 4,500 km long network of cycle paths are not only the most popular topics routes, but also the many small and large delightful tours and round courses through the region. A sophisticated infrastructure for cyclists with Bed & Bike farms, navigation systems, and service-stations makes Münsterland a cycling paradise.

The history of the Regierungsbezirk dates back to 1815, when it was one of the original 25 Regierungsbezirke created as a subdivision of the provinces of Prussia. The last reorganization of the districts was done in 1975, when the number of districts was reduced from 10 to 5, and the number of district-free cities from six to three.

Kreise (districts)	Kreisfreie Städte (district-free towns)
Borken Coesfeld Recklinghausen Steinfurt Warendorf	Bottrop Gelsenkirchen Münster

Climate

The climate is mainly maritime, influenced by the gulf stream. Temperatures above 30 °C during the summer are rare. But also in winter time temperatures below zero are rare.

Landmarks

• Castle Nordkirchen - the most important castle, also called "Westphalian Versailles" [1]
• Castle Ahaus
• Castle Westerwinkel
• Castle Steinfurt
• Haus Rüschhaus
• Burg Hülshoff - birthplace of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff

References

1. ^ "Amtliche Bevölkerungszahlen" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. 31 December 2010. http://www.it.nrw.de/statistik/a/daten/amtlichebevoelkerungszahlen/index.html. 

External links

• Official website
• The Münsterland Tourism board

Coordinates: 52°00′N 7°30′E / 52.0°N 7.5°E / 52.0; 7.5