If you’re lucky enough to have a friend who lives in a castle, it makes sense to visit them, right? That is exactly what brought me to the small village of Nordkirchen, in Münsterland, Germany. Nordkirchen is one of the area’s top draws thanks to its beautiful castle, often known as the Westphalian Versailles, which was used extensively as a filming location for the 2021 film about Princess Diana, Spencer. But being a small village in a rural area, it’s not the easiest place to get to.
Handily, the town of Lüdinghausen is close by. Even more handily, Lüdinghausen is also a great destination in itself thanks to its main draws – its own castles!
This post is my guide to this corner of Münsterland: including why you should visit, what you should do and how to get around.
Images in this post were taken by or were helped by the very talented Sabina Schmitz – check her out on Instagram or view her other work at her site, Brown Leather Book.
Where is Münsterland and why should I visit?
Lüdinghausen in Münsterland
Münsterland is the name of the area surrounding the German city of Münster (unsurprisingly). It is characterised by its flat, agricultural landscape and architectural features that point to its location, between the Netherlands and Northern Germany (think lots of tall, thin, pointy houses). Münsterland is entirely located within North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW), the state which also contains Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf and Dortmund.
Much like other regions in Germany, it’s also famous for its castles; however, the castles in this region are special. The region is known for Wasserschlösser or ‘water castles’. These are castles (or palaces) situated on lakes or moats, which make them look like they have literally risen out of the water. They are incredibly Instagram-friendly.
Burg Vischering – one of Lüdinghausen’s Wasserschlösser
Of course, being very flat, Münsterland is a haven for cycling. In fact, the student city of Münster is known as Germany’s bike capital (and for anyone who has been mowed down by a bike in Berlin, you’ll understand just how many bikes there must be in Münster). The region is criss-crossed by some handy cycle routes and if you come to visit, you’ll definitely want to get your own pair of wheels.
Read more: the best small towns to visit in Germany
Things to do in Nordkirchen
Nordkirchen itself is a very small village, with a population of around 10,000. Despite its history and links to the beautiful castle, you won’t find a picturesque village of timber-framed houses here – the main streets are all pretty new-looking, without much character. There are still a few nice buildings and gems hidden about, though!
Guided tour of Nordkirchen Castle
Nordkirchen Castle really is the star of the show here. The castle and its impressively-maintained grounds have fully earned it the title of the Versailles of Westphalia.
After a turbulent history (including a period of it being used as a Nazi military training camp), the castle has been owned by the state since 1959 and has functioned as the state tax school pretty much ever since. Anyone in training to be a state tax inspector trains here for around three years.
Despite most of the interior being dedicated to teaching, several rooms on the ground floor have been left intact, and tours are offered in both English and German, lasting roughly one hour and can be booked here. It’s the only way to see inside the building and is definitely worth it to check out the palace’s former grandeur.
Walk the grounds of Nordkirchen Castle
Historic building in the grounds of the castle
But equally as impressive as the interior of the castle is the exterior. The grounds of the castle are pretty expansive, featuring landscaped gardens, statues and several other listed buildings, including a smaller palace (the Orangerie) and an ugly disused cafeteria building which is a protected building for some reason.
The Venusinsel (Venus island) directly in front of the castle is where you’ll get some fantastic close-up of the exterior of the castle, but you’ll be treated to fantastic views pretty much anywhere on the grounds. If you’re on your bike, you should be able to easily covered the grounds and the huge Tiergarten forested area.
Nordkirchen Castle in the film Spencer (2021)
If you’re wondering to yourself where the 2021 film Spencer was filmed, then look no further than Nordkirchen. The film, which stars Kirsten Stewart as Princess Diana, was partially shot in Nordkirchen, using the exterior and the grounds of the castle as filming locations. Read more (in German) here.
Schloss Nordkirchen can be easily identified in the trailer. Most of the exterior shots, including the opening sequence (until around 00:08) and the overhead drone shot (00:21-00-23) were filmed at Nordkirchen.
Kaffee und Kuchen at Café Schlaun
If you’ve spent any time in Germany, you’ve probably already discovered that a mid-afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen is a ritual that can’t be avoided – and you won’t get any more traditional than the cosy Café Schlaun in Nordkirchen. The portions of cake are generous, the selection of teas and coffees is huge and interior is lovely and homely, with a beautiful mural of Nordkirchen castle.
Cycle from Nordkirchen to Lüdinghausen
As I mentioned, the landscape of Münsterland is pretty inviting for cyclists. The flat, green open landscape doesn’t pose much of an obstacle and the quiet farm lanes make it easy to cycle between the picturesque farmhouses.
On my first visit to Nordkirchen, we cycled to Lüdinghausen and back (via Burg Vischering) in a loop that totalled 38km. The Gemeinde Nordkirchen website (in German) has a list of several well-marked cycle routes of the surrounding area. We cycled from Nordkirchen and back (Tour 8), but this would be a perfect day trip from Lüdinghausen and a great way to visit Schloss Nordkirchen and explore the castles extensive grounds.
You can see our cycle route on Endomondo here.
Things to do in Lüdinghausen
The quiet streets of Lüdinghausen
Despite a modest population of around 25,000, Lüdinghausen does have a certain feel of regional importance (particularly compared to Nordkirchen). The town has a large pedestrianised town centre, where you’ll find a good amount of boutiques and other shops and some pretty lanes of small cottages with very tiny front doors.
Caribello Tapas Bar
If Lüdinghausen has a hidden gem, it has to be the phenomenal Caribello Tapas Bar. This place is fantastic. The fish is particularly good and the staff are happy to create a tasting platter of the fresh fish they have on offer – if that’s not your cup of tea, there is a very wide-ranging menu and list of specials to choose from. Genuinely one of my favourite restaurants in Germany.
Burg Vischering
Burg Vischering must be one of Germany’s most Instagram-friendly castles. A watercastle just like Nordkirchen Castle, Vischerung ticks all the boxes: wooden bridge over the moat, bricks walls raising direct from the water, proudly-displayed family colours, a great giftshop… everything you could want!
I have to admit, I’ve never been inside the castle, but it’s still enjoyable just to walk around from the outside and take in it’s near perfect reflection on the water. There’s also a very cool art installation in the shape of a mirror box, which creates some really unique angles.
Burg Lüdinghausen
Lüdinghausen’s other castle, Burg Lüdinghausen, is less of a show-stopper, if I’m honest. But the self-styled Renaissance Castle does have a bit more of a ‘classic castle’ feel to it than Vischering and it does host a varied events programme in summer, including lectures and exhibitions.
