Münster (region)
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Münster is one of the five ''
Regierungsbezirk A ' () means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Four of sixteen ' ( states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts. Saxony has ' (directorate districts) with more res ...
e'' of
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, located in the north of the state, and named after the capital city of
Münster Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...
. It includes the area which in medieval times was known as the
Dreingau Dreingau is the medieval name of one of five Saxon pagi (i.e., boroughs) in what today is the Münsterland in Westphalia. During the Middle Ages documents referred to it as ''Dreine'', ''Dreni'', ''Drieni'', ''Dragini'', ''Dragieni'', ''Drachina'' ...
. Regierungsbezirk Münster mostly covers rural areas of Münsterland famous for their castles, e.g. Castle Nordkirchen and Castle Ahaus. The region offers more than a hundred castles, all linked up by the cycle path ''100 Schlösser Route''. The three southern municipalities are part of the
Ruhrgebiet The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
, a densely populated region with much industry. Besides this the area is mostly as green as the rest of Münsterland and historically a part of the landscape. 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 Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
. The last reorganization of the districts was made in 1975, when the number of districts was reduced from ten to five, and the number of district-free cities from six to three.


Climate

The climate is mainly
maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...
, influenced by the recently deteriorating
gulf stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Current, North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida a ...
. Temperatures above 30 °C during the summer were rare until the 1980s. Recently some summer months got more hot and dry or cool and wet with an increased abundance of
extreme weather Extreme weather or extreme climate events includes unexpected, unusual, severe, or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution—the range that has been seen in the past. Often, extreme events are based on a locat ...
. In winter time temperatures deep frost below -10 °C occurs especially in times of Berlin Phenomenon and is rare in years without. Long time average temperatures about 1 °C in January and February mean, that frost is quite common.


Economy

The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 88.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 2.6% of German economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 30,900 € or 102% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 94% of the EU average.


Traffic

A popular way to explore the Münsterland is by bicycle. The mostly flat landscape with its architectural and cultural gems invites cycling, both ambitious on-road riding (e.g. the
Münsterland Giro The Münsterland Giro is a cycling race annually held in Münsterland, Germany. It was first held in 2006 as a 1.2 race of the UCI Europe Tour, becoming a 1.1 race in 2007 and a 1.HC race in 2015. The race became part of the new UCI ProSeries ...
race) and relaxed tours on small rural roads and ''Pättkes'' (minor paths, some are even unpaved). Embedded in a 4,500 km long network of cycle paths are not only the most popular themed routes, but also many small and large delightful tours and round courses through the region. Some infrastructure for cyclists with Bed & Bike farms, navigation systems, and service-stations make Münsterland a fine cycling area.
The city of Münster itself is crammed with bikes and on a daily basis cyclists face
traffic congestion Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s. When traffic de ...
, bike
theft Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...
, parking problems and the like. The road system is well-maintained and several highways offer fast access to nearly all areas. In those areas where railroads haven't been closed down by the 1980s, frequent and fast service is offered. One streetcar system has survived in the city of Gelsenkirchen and many other towns and cities offer a fair bus network. Rural areas are connected by bus, too. The service is tied to demand and rather poor in very remote places. The Münsterland can be explored by boat on some canals, e.g. the
Dortmund–Ems Canal The Dortmund–Ems Canal is a long canal in Germany between the inland port of the city of Dortmund () and the seaport of Emden. The artificial southern part of the canal ends after at Herbrum lock near Meppen. The route then takes the r ...
and
Wesel–Datteln Canal The Wesel–Datteln Canal (german: Wesel-Datteln-Kanal) is a long canal in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It runs along the northern edge of the Ruhr Area, from the Rhine near Wesel () to the Dortmund-Ems Canal near Datteln (). It forms an im ...
. They connect the area to the harbours in
Duisburg Duisburg () is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine and the Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruhr Region, Duisburg is the 5th largest city in Nor ...
and
Münster Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...
, the German coast and the rest of the German waterway system.


Landmarks

*
Ahaus Castle Ahaus (; Westphalian: ''Ausen'') is a town in the district of Borken in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the border with the Netherlands, lying some 20 km south-east of Enschede and 15 km south from G ...
*
Gerleve Abbey Gerleve Abbey (in German Kloster or Abtei Gerleve) is a monastery of the Benedictine Order situated between Coesfeld and Billerbeck in Westphalia (North Rhine-Westphalia), in Germany. History The community, dedicated to Saint Joseph, was founded ...
* Herten Castle * Horst Castle * Hülshoff Castle - birthplace of
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff Baroness Anna Elisabeth Franziska Adolphine Wilhelmine Louise Maria von Droste zu Hülshoff, known as Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (; 10 January 179724 May 1848), was a 19th-century German poet, novelist, and composer of Classical music. She was ...
* Lembeck Castle *
Münster Cathedral Münster Cathedral or St.-Paulus-Dom is the cathedral church of the Catholic Diocese of Münster in Germany, and is dedicated to St Paul. It is counted among the most significant church buildings in Münster and, along with the City Hall, i ...
*
Nordkirchen Castle Schloss Nordkirchen is a palace situated in the town of Nordkirchen in the Coesfeld administrative district in the state of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. The ''schloss'' was largely built between 1703 and 1734 and is known as the "Versaill ...
- the most important castle, also called "Westphalian Versailles

* House of Rüschhaus * St. Lambertus Cathedral * Steinfurt Castle * Westerwinkel Castle *
The Industrial Heritage Trail The Industrial Heritage Trail (german: Route der Industriekultur) links tourist attractions related to the industrial heritage in the Ruhr area in Germany. It is a part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. The series of routes were devel ...
- big part of this collection of monuments originated by the
industrial revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
is sited in the southern half of this area


References


External links

*
The Münsterland Tourism board
{{DEFAULTSORT:Munster (Region) Government regions of Germany Geography of North Rhine-Westphalia NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union Government regions of Prussia