Six million for the premium cycling region: Package of measures for the infrastructure of the 100 Castles Route successfully implemented

Münsterland e.V., together with the municipalities and districts of the region, has moved around ten million euros in the past three years for the large-scale project "Münsterland Castles and Palaces Region". Shortly before the completion of the overall project, the project partners are already taking positive stock for a particularly large part, namely the improvement of the cycle path infrastructure along the 100 Castles Route.

"Our goal is for the Münsterland to be perceived even more strongly as a premium cycling region," explains Hans-Joachim Gerdemann, contact person for the project component infrastructure. Behind this is the desire to score points as a cycling region with particularly high-quality offers in a nationwide context. "The competitive pressure between the destinations is great. Particularly with regard to the condition of the paths, the Münsterland cycling region must not rest on its past successes, but must work specifically in cooperation with the municipalities on further qualitative development," says Hans-Joachim Gerdemann and emphasises: "We have come a great deal closer to this goal." First, around 90 dilapidated or even missing stretches of road were identified in 34 towns and municipalities in the region. These paths were then surfaced and asphalted, smoothed, widened or even created in the first place. Eighty percent of the costs were covered by the project volume for infrastructure measures - about six million euros - and 20 percent were covered by the local partners themselves.

Recently completed, for example, was the construction of a new cycle path in the Everswinkel district of Alverskirchen to connect the Brückhausen manor house to the popular 100 Castles Route - "a very worthwhile site that has been on the edge of the cycle route for years and can now be reached safely," emphasises Hans-Joachim Gerdemann. A new bridge over the Angel is also an important part of the new cycle route, which will run along district road 33 to Sendenhorst.

The Nünningsweg near Steinfurt Castle was renovated and additionally converted into a bicycle lane. Between Hülshoff Castle in Havixbeck and Münster, a service road was asphalted - "a very good measure, which has a strong effect on the image of the entire cycle path with a flagship like Hülshoff Castle," says the expert. A section of the path between Rhede and Haus Pröbsting has now also been newly asphalted. In Münster, a section of the route between Warendorfer Straße and Handorf has received a smoother surface.

This year's ADFC cycle trip analysis also shows how crucial good condition of the cycle paths is: here, 70 percent of those surveyed stated the passability of the route as a particularly important aspect when planning day trips. The Münsterland is therefore on the right track here, which is also made visible by the survey: the region ranks fourth among the TOP 10 cycling regions in Germany. "We have achieved a lot with the measures we have implemented - but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Because whoever stops getting better has stopped being good," Hans-Joachim Gerdemann sums up.

Further information

The municipalities and districts of the region, Münsterland e.V., tourism stakeholders as well as castle or palace owners and
operators are working together in the ERDF funding project "Palaces and Castles Region Münsterland". From 2019 to 2022, the Münsterland will be strengthened as a region of castles and palaces with four projects: information and guidance system, cycling infrastructure, quality of experience and expansion of an SME network. In addition, the premium product "100 Castles Route" is to be further developed.

Further information can be found online at www.touristiker-muensterland.de/schloesser-burgen.