Front view of Haus Rüschhaus in Münster , © Johannes Höhn

Spe­cial pic­nic of­fers


En­joy­ing a feast un­der the open sky

Fresh air will have you work up an appetite. An open-air meal will taste even better if accompanied by a special backdrop, – in particular if you don’t have to prepare it on your own since the delicacies are provided by professionals. Enjoy delicious and airy treats at a deluxe picnic in the castle park, at the top of a pit frame, or on a pleasure hike from meal to meal through the Eifel region! Let us present some places and offerings in North Rhine-Westphalia to you that will provide particularly beautiful breaks in the open air. Enjoy your picnic with a view.

View from the Sparrenburg on Bielefeld, © Bielefeld Marketing, Franziska Beckmann

Pic­nic with a view


Pleas­ure on a castle tower or a pit frame

A pleasurable break in the Ruhr area will take you to the very top with a view of former colliery sites after climbing the 160 steps to the “picnic on the pit frame” of shaft 3/7/10 in Essen. Anyone with a good head for heights will not only get a view of the Zollverein World Heritage Site from above but may also discover the Arena Auf Schalke on the horizon. The tower above the former Nordstern colliery in Gelsenkirchen can be easily reached by lift. An exhibition tells of the times of coal mining down in the listed building.
www.schacht3710.de

Picnic at Sparrenburg Castle, with a great view over the city or at Obersee with a lake view? Here you will find Bielefeld's most popular picnic spots.
www.bielefeld.jetzt/picknickplaetze

Hiking and pleasure

If you want to burn off the extra calories gained by your feast again, the Eifel is the place to go. A number of day packages combine hikes on one of the “EifelSpur” themed routes with the pleasure of regional specialities. These may take the form of a hiking breakfast at the start of the tour or stops for sweet or savoury meals later in the day.
www.nordeifel-tourismus.de

Side view of Haus Rüschhaus in Münster , © Johannes Höhn

De­li­cious food in a beau­ti­ful scenery


Re­gion­al spe­ci­al­it­ies

Burg Hülshoff castle in the Münsterland has long served as an oasis of relaxation: In the early 19th century, the noble Droste zu Hülshoff family used this well-preserved Renaissance complex, once a knight’s seat, as their retreat. The typical Westphalian moated castle with its sunbathing lawns in extensive parkland is a cosy place with a long tradition. The original Hülshoff picnic lets visitors enjoy the castle, its surroundings, and some delicacies from a pre-packed picnic basket. The blanket, glasses, cutlery, and plates are also included in the service, which is best booked no less than 24 hours before the planned excursion.
Together with Haus Rüschhaus, which is a little less than five kilometres away, the Burg Hülshoff castle is a worthwhile destination, in particular for literature enthusiasts: Once the homes of the poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, these two sites have since become venues of the Centre for Literature, connected by a new poetry path that also merges culture and nature. Interactive stations along the approximately ten-kilometre-long trail show how literature, nature, and culture have changed since Droste’s time.

Professionals will provide all sorts of picnic equipment in other beautiful locations in the Münsterland region as well: Romantik Parkhotel Wasserburg Anholt castle in Isselburg not only packs picnic baskets with delicacies from the castle kitchen, but can also send some advice on cycling routes to the best picnic spots in the area to a mobile phone. Haltern offers a number of picnic basket options under a climbing course or with a view of the reservoir. All bookable baskets are brimming with regional specialities.
ww.muensterland.com

Floral splendour and water fountains draw all eyes in Cologne’s Flora park – unless your filled picnic bag outperforms them. The Dank Augusta garden restaurant lets guests fill picnic bags to their liking at the bar before settling on the sun terrace with them. A tour of the historical park, opened in the late 19thcentury, will be an even greater pleasure after a good meal.

Picnic for lovers or Altbier fans

Monheim offers even more opportunities for picnic activities: The family farm café not only rents out all the equipment needed for an enjoyable outdoor feast, but also has pedal go-karts and bikes as well as a choice of playing equipment such as badminton, stilts, and swinging blankets available. Guests can choose one of five different picnic options in Neanderland: While the picnic basket for lovers contains, among other things, sparkling wine and orange juice along with boiled eggs and bread rolls, families will find milk or cocoa and sweet surprises for the children.
www.familienhofcafe.de/picknickkorb

Anyone who wants to enjoy a freshly tapped beer with their picnic will find the world’s oldest Altbier brewery the right place for them. The principle of the Privatbrauerei Bolten in Korschenbroich is quite simple: Guests bring their own treats from home as they wish and Bolten provides the chilled beer to go with them. This has a long tradition in this spot, as the brewery’s headquarters have not moved from this place since 1266.

  • Auf dem Förderturm von Schacht 3/7/10 in Essen gibt's Picknick mit Aussicht., © Michael Gohl
    Gedeckter Tisch auf dem Förderturm von Schacht 3/7/10 in Essen, © Phänomania Erfahrungsfeld
    Außenansicht Brauerei Bolten in Korschenbroich, © Privatbrauerei Bolten
  • View to the Sparrenburg Bielefeld, © Bielefeld Marketing
    Burg Hülshoff mit Burggraben  , © Ralph Sondermann, Tourismus NRW
    In the park of Burg Hülshoff, benches offer wonderful views of the moated castle, © Münsterland e.V., Philipp Foelting