Our chauffeur-guide excursion takes you to the city of Muenster and to Nordkirchen Water-Palace, also known as "Westphalian Versailles".

Beautiful Muenster

From Duesseldorf we start northwards and after about 90 minutes we reach the city of Muenster. Its history dates back to 793, when a monastery was founded here. The city owes its name to that “Monasterium” (lat.).

The old town boasts numerous historical buildings, and the gothic city hall is Muenster’s most famous landmark. The Peace of Westphalia was negotiated and signed here in 1648. If you cross Prinzipalmarkt, one of Germany’s most beautiful places with arcades and gabled houses, you arrive at St. Lamberti Church. There are three noticeable cages attached to its tower: In the 16th century the dead bodies of three members of the Anabaptist movement were put on display in these cages, as a warning example to all. Another must see is St. Paul’s-Cathedral: It was built in the 13th century and includes a late medieval astronomical clock with moving figures of the Three Wise Men and a chime of bells. You can listen to that every noon. After having lunch in Muenster we drive to our next destination.

Nordkirchen Water Palace

We turn southwards and after about half an hour we reach Nordkirchen Palace. Due to its baroque architecture, the water palace is also called “Westphalian Versailles”. It was built by Gottfried Laurenz Pictorius, Peter Pictorius and Johann Conrad Schlaun in the 18th century on the site of an ancient castle. The building is surrounded by moats and a beautiful park with hundreds of marble statues. Don’t miss the lovely Venus-Island in the north! The Park and several rooms of the palace, as for instance the chapel and the Jupiter Hall, can be visited. There are guided tours available in English and French. After visiting the palace we return to our starting point, where our excursion ends.