Dülmen is a city in southern Münsterland, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. It is surrounded by the river Lippe to the south, the Baumberge hills to the north and the river Ems to the east. South of Lippe you will find the Ruhr.

Understand

Dülmen was first referred to in a document written in 889. It became a city in 1311, after which the Lüdinghauser Tor was built. During World War II, a good 90% of the city centre got destroyed; after the war, it was rebuilt from the ground up.

The city is very friendly towards bikers, and offers a large network of cycleways.

Get in

Oedlerteich at sunset, Kirchspiel, Dülmen

By plane

The nearest airport is the Münster/Osnabrück airport (FMO ^IATA).

By car

The A 43 passes the city in the northwest. This autobahn connects to the A 1 near Münster and A 2 near Recklinghausen.

Dülmen has a mixed parking system which offers both free parking and parking using Parkscheibe and/or tickets.

See

Haus Osthoff

Wildpark

• 1 Saint Victor Church (St.-Viktor-Kirche). The Saint Viktor Chruch is the oldest church of Dülmen, founded in the 780s. The current church dates from the year 1938. (updated Aug 2016)
• Old city centre. Not much of the city centre survived World War II, but buildings such as the Lüdinghauser Tor (town gate), Korenkenturm and Nonnenturm (watchtowers) survived. (updated Aug 2016)
• 2 Schloss Buldern, Dorfbauerschaft 41, ☏ +49 2590 99-30, info@schloss-buldern.com. The originally medieval castle was replaced by a more comfortable and representative manor in the 1830s, only some parts have survived from the 17th century. The manor now houses an exclusive boarding school and is surrounded by a beautiful landscape garden, whose core however is closed to public (you can visit it from the outside though). The inner part may only be visited by appointment. (updated Aug 2016)
• 3 Haus Osthoff, Von-dem-Busche-Str. 30. 18th-century Baroque brick manor covered by vine foliage; beautiful Baroque garden with accurately trimmed boxwood hedges, flowerbeds and a water lily pond. (updated Aug 2016)
• Old distillery (Alte Brennerei Löhning), Münsterstraße 49. Former Korn distillery, transformed into residential homes. A restored copper still, various glass containers and old barrel brands in the entrance hall recall the building's heritage. (updated Aug 2016)
• 4 Monuments. The grave and memorial of the in 2004 beatified nun and mystic Anne Catherine Emmerick can be found in the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche. (updated Aug 2016)
• 5 Jewish cemetery (Jüdischer Friedhof), Kapellenweg. Interesting historic site, Baroque revival gate, several tomb steles, elaborate mausoleum of a rich family. (updated Aug 2016)
• 6 Wildpark. Daily, all year. 618-acre landscape park, designed in the 19th century and consisting of meadows, woodlots and ponds. Home to heath sheep, deer and different bird species. Old solitary trees, the forester's lodge and a picturesque wooden bridge are worth seeing. Admission free. (updated Aug 2016)

Do

Viktorkirmes in Dülmen

• Semiannual funfairs: Dreifaltigkeitskirmes (trinity kermess) in May and Viktorkirmes (St Victor's kermess) in early October

Sleep

• Zum Wildpferd, Münsterstr. 52, ☏ +49 2594 9710. Hotel Restaurant 
• Merfelder Hof, Borkener Straße 60, ☏ +49 2594 9700. Hotel Restaurant 
• Große Teichsmühle, Borkenbergestr. 78, ☏ +49 2594 94350. Hotel Restaurant 

Go next

• Vischering Castle (Burg Vischering), Lüdinghausen (15 km southeast of Dülmen). The Renaissance water castle looks like a romantic prototype of the ideal medieval castle; it houses the Museum of Münsterland.