The park is one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe and, together with the magnificent palace, is known as the "Westphalian Versailles" in Münsterland. Visitors can take a look at precious stucco work, beautiful ceiling paintings and fine wood carvings.
Nordkirchen Castle in the district of Coesfeld in Münsterland is one of the most important castles in North Rhine-Westphalia and the largest moated castle in Westphalia. Nordkirchen Castle is also known as the "Westphalian Versailles" due to its structural dimensions and Baroque design, but also because of the impressive landscaping and garden art in the adjoining castle garden.
The palace and park were designed by the Westphalian Baroque master builder Johann Conrad Schlaun. The palace building itself with its magnificent halls and the high baroque palace chapel with its precious stucco work, ceiling paintings and wood carvings can be visited on Sundays and public holidays on hourly guided tours.
Avenues and axes
The palace garden is one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe. Since the palace was built in the 18th century by Prince-Bishop Friedrich Christian von Münster from the House of Plettenberg-Lenhausen, numerous renowned garden artists have contributed to the design of the garden. Some parts of the palace park were created in the style of English landscape gardens, while other parts were "rebaroqueized" over the course of time.
Today, the palace garden still fascinates visitors with its lawn and broderie parterres, topiary and numerous sculptures in the park, as well as its avenues and axes. Nordkirchen Castle with its important park has been declared worthy of protection by Unesco as a "Gesamtkunstwerk of international importance".
