Camping in the Tecklenburger Land

Peaceful nature experiences and diverse cultural discoveries go hand in hand when camping in Tecklenburger Land. The balcony of the Münsterland, as the gently rolling landscape in northern Westphalia is also known, is considered a premium hiking region with its lakes, romantic river meadows and extensive forests. Horse riding holidaymakers and lovers of extensive cycling tours also get their money's worth here. The eleven small towns and municipalities of Tecklenburger Land also have exciting museums and many a historical attraction in store for visitors.

Special features of camping in Tecklenburger Land

The campsites in Tecklenburger Land turn a family holiday close to nature into one relaxing pleasure. There are pitches for motorhomes and caravans in every town in the region, over 4,000 in total. Some campsites, such as the Waldsee recreation area in Ladbergen and Sonnenhügel in Lengerich on the southern slopes of the Teutoburg Forest, are open all year round. Birdsong and fresh air are just as much a part of camping in Tecklenburger Land as a modern infrastructure and a wide range of leisure activities. This also applies to the campsite at Herthasee in Hörstel, which is an Eldorado for horse lovers and water sports enthusiasts. In Ibbenbüren, in addition to the motorhome pitches at the Aaseebad, there are also two campsites with opportunities to be active. In Tecklenburg, there is another family-friendly campsite with an indoor pool, knights' playground and wellness area.

Journey

Whether campers are travelling to Tecklenburger Land by caravan or motorhome: The region between Münster and Osnabrück can be reached flexibly. Two motorways run through the Tecklenburger Land. One is the A1 motorway, which runs for a total of 749 km from Heiligenhafen on the Baltic Sea to Saarbrücken in Saarland. Where the A1 motorway crosses the Teutoburg Forest, there are steep inclines and significant gradients. The route only flattens out again near Lengerich, one of the small towns in the Tecklenburger Land region.

Tecklenburger Land is also served by the A30 motorway in a west-east direction, which crosses the A1 motorway at Lotte. The A30 runs from the Lower Saxony spa town of Bad Bentheim on the border with the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia over a distance of 129 kilometres to Bad Oeynhausen in the Minden-Lübbecke district. Take the Ibbenbüren-West and Ibbenbüren exits to reach Tecklenburger Land. If you are coming from the east, first take the A2 motorway and change to the A30 motorway at Bad Oeynhausen.

Destinations in Tecklenburger Land

The historic territory of the Counts of Tecklenburg is home to eleven villages, each with its own charm. These include the following:

Ibbenbüren: rural idyll and urban flair

Nestled in a picturesque landscape of meadows and forests, Ibbenbüren is considered the centre of Tecklenburger Land. Its lively town centre is characterised by buildings made of Ibbenbüren sandstone and pretty half-timbered houses. Cosy cafés and restaurants invite you to linger after a stroll through the numerous shops. There are no fewer than five museums to amaze visitors, including the town museum with an exhibition on the residential culture of the Wilhelminian era and the mining museum on the 500-year tradition of coal mining in Ibbenbüren. While the bizarre rock formations of the Dörenther Klippen cliffs tempt visitors to go hiking with magnificent views, the Ibbenbüren climbing forest and the NaturaGart Park with its huge cold-water aquarium and diving opportunities are also very attractive.

Tecklenburg: the northernmost mountain town in Germany

At the western foothills of the Teutoburg Forest, cobbled alleyways, romantic staircases and lovingly restored half-timbered houses from the 16th to 18th centuries give the climatic and Kneipp spa town of Tecklenburg an incomparable character. In this picture-book setting, visitors can easily imagine how the Counts of Tecklenburg and their servants once lived. A medieval castle ruin is home to Germany's largest open-air theatre, which is particularly popular in summer with musical performances and children's shows. The moated castle Haus Marck, known for its series of concerts in the historic Knights' Hall, is also worth discovering.

Activities and excursions

In Tecklenburger Land, you can discover nature in an active way, be it golfing, inline skating on tarmac farm tracks or a walk through the barefoot park in Lienen. Those who prefer a more leisurely pace can board the Teuto-Express, a historic passenger train with a snorting steam locomotive, and enjoy a country trip full of nostalgia.

Pure hiking pleasure in Tecklenburger Land

The most famous hiking route in Tecklenburger Land and one of the most beautiful high-altitude trails in Germany is the Hermannsweg, named after the mythical Hermann the Cheruscan. With a length of 156 kilometres, it leads over the ridge of the Teutoburg Forest and crosses the UNESCO Geopark TERRA.vita and the Eggegebirge Nature Park. There are also seven multi-faceted circular routes known as the Teuto Loops, which lead to such attractive destinations as the Heiliges Meer Nature Park and the impressive Lengerich Canyon quarry.

Out and about on bikes and horses

Take riding lessons, gallop across wide meadows, try vaulting or go on a covered wagon ride: With its stud farms and riding stables, Tecklenburger Land offers the best conditions for finding happiness on the back of a horse. Alternatively, you can cycle. On the so-called Peace Route between Münster and Osnabrück, for example, holidaymakers can cycle along historic bridle paths and follow in the footsteps of the Peace of Westphalia.

Gastronomy

If you go on a culinary voyage of discovery in Tecklenburger Land, you can't go past Möppkenbrot. It sounds like a baked good, but it is a traditional black pudding speciality with bacon and grain, which is often served on pumpernickel or fried with onions and apple slices. Asparagus thrives particularly well in the sandy soils of the region and is served fresh in restaurants between April and June. Guests can also buy the royal vegetable directly from one of the local asparagus farms and prepare it themselves at the campsite. It is almost a Münsterland curiosity, but two wines full of character are even grown around the small town of Tecklenburg: the white Burgberg and the red Philosoph. Alongside other fine wines, they can be savoured extensively at the Tecklenburg Wine Festival at the end of August.

Best time to visit

Tecklenburger Land is a good place for a holiday all year round. The weather is characterised by a cool-temperate to warm maritime climate. Atlantic influences dominate, but continental influences also become apparent during the course of the year. Westerly and north-westerly winds bring cool summers and mild winters. May to September is the ideal time to go hiking or cycling. Spring is already enchanting with its sunshine-yellow rapeseed fields. In the summer months of June to August, average maximum temperatures of 21 degrees Celsius are measured, but a warm wind and rain jacket is always a good idea, especially in winter. Because in the high altitudes of the Tecklenburger Land, snow tends to stick around. It's enough for a snowball fight. However, sledging is particularly recommended on the summer toboggan run in Ibbenbüren.