Peace Route

The Peace Route is divided into a western route and an eastern route. Both routes can also be combined and the route travelled as a circular route.

The starting point for both routes can be the city of peace, Münster .

The historic town hall with the famous Peace Hall is located directly on Prinzipalmarkt in Münster. The building is a real eye-catcher and shows the cityscape of Münster from its most beautiful side. The city pulsates with life under the picturesque arcades and on the square. Just a few metres away, other important sights such as the cathedral, the Erbdrostenhof and St. Lambert's Church, as well as numerous cultural institutions, entice visitors to take an extensive tour of the city.

West course

The western route begins in Münster and after just a few kilometres, cyclists are greeted by the beautiful Rieselfelder nature reserve.

Immediately afterwards, the route leads through the picturesque village of Gimbte and along the Emsausen and Ems to Greven. In the Ems town of Greven, you can take a detour to the 1200-year-old Sachsenhof, which takes its guests back to the Middle Ages.

The route continues through the Münsterland parkland to Ladbergen. It was here, halfway between Münster and Osnabrück, that the parties met for the preliminary negotiations of the Peace of Westphalia. The "Zur Post" inn became the centre of the negotiations. It was the perfect place to discreetly discuss particularly difficult issues. A short time later, an important post office was established here. Stables for twelve horses and four rooms were available for guests.

The cycle path continues into the foothills of the Teutoburg Forest. The hilly landscape is a real treat for cycling enthusiasts and offers wonderful panoramic views as a reward for the odd climb.

Another interesting location on the Peace Route is Haus Marck, where preliminary negotiations took place. Haus Marck can be visited as part of a guided tour and is now also the venue for high-class concerts. From there, we recommend a detour to the beautiful old town of Tecklenburg, which is lined with half-timbered houses.

At the foot of the Teutoburg Forest, the Peace Route heads towards Lengerich . Today's town hall square in Lengerich with the former "Lengericher Conclusium" was another location where a chapter of world history was written and still has an impact today.

A few kilometres further on, the picturesque Tecklenburg district of Leeden is on the way. The route leads past numerous examples of industrial heritage and through the Terra.vita nature park to Hasbergen.

A few metres further on, cyclists finally reach Osnabrück. The beautiful market square with the historic town hall, which houses the Peace Hall , is the centre of the city. You can explore the city on a guided tour, stroll through the shopping streets and enjoy the extensive gastronomic offerings.

East course

If you would like to cycle the Peace Route as a circular route, continue from Osnabrück towards Hagen am Teutoburger Wald. For a special experience, take a detour to the Silbersee gallery with a guided tour through the underground vault.

In Bad Iburg , Iburg Castle with its Knights' Hall is an attraction well worth seeing. The castle is steeped in history and is home to both a Catholic and a Protestant church. The castle was badly damaged during the Thirty Years' War. The first Queen of Prussia was born here in 1714. The Knights' Hall is particularly worth seeing.

The route continues via the spa town of Bad Laer into the flat Münsterland parkland.

In Ostbevern , the beautiful Loburg park surprises with its quiet paths through a wild and romantic landscape of rhododendrons, trees and small ponds.

The next destination is the town of Telgte , which not only boasts an enchanting old town centre, but also small alleyways that meander through the town and open up new perspectives around every bend. There are always sculptures to discover in the town. The pilgrimage chapel with the image of the "Sorrowful Mother" is the town's jewel and was built in 1654 by the Prince-Bishop of Münster, Christoph Bernhard von Galen himself.

A visit to the Westphalian Museum of Religious Culture "RELíGIO", which houses many interesting exhibits, including the Telgte hunger cloth of particular significance, is highly recommended.

From Telgte, the tour leads once again across extensive fields surrounded by small wooded areas to Münster.

Günter Grass' book "The Meeting of Telgte" connects Telgte with the Thirty Years' War and literature. In the fictional meeting, German poets discuss the Peace of Westphalia and the state of the German language.

Münster is a good place to start the Peace Route, especially because of its good connections to regional and long-distance transport.

By bus and train to Münster:

• Main railway station: Münster (Westf.)
• Main junction in Münsterland
• Bus and rail connections to the municipalities of Münsterland
• Connections to long-distance traffic

By car to Münster:

• Coming from the south and north: A1 motorway at the Münster-Nord junction (77), then take the B54 towards Münster.
  
• Coming from the east: Bundesstraße 51 in the direction of Münster.
• Coming from the west: Follow the A43 motorway in the direction of Münster, which automatically becomes Weseler Straße and leads to Münster.

Alternatively, the route can also be driven from Osnabrück as the starting point.

Throughout the route, cyclists are accompanied by good signage, allowing them to fully concentrate on the landscape and history. The cycling guidance systems are marked according to high quality standards and the directional signposts with place and kilometre indications show the way at intersections and linking points.

The Peace Route logo is clearly visible on the signposts. Intermediate signposts are also present to provide additional orientation along the way and to guide tourists from one crossing point to the next.

The directional and intermediate signposts in Lower Saxony are green and white and in North Rhine-Westphalia red and white, but the system does not differ. It is worth noting that the Peace Route is signposted in both directions so that tourists can start at any point along the route.

Historisches Rathaus, Prinzipalmarkt 10

Historisches Rathaus, Prinzipalmarkt 10