Burg Hülshoff is a water castle located between the Roxel district of Münster and the city of Havixbeck, to which it legally belongs. It is also a stop on the "100-Schlösser-Route," which connects the castles in the Münsterland region by bike paths.

The name comes from the noble Droste zu Hülshoff family, who owned the castle for almost 600 years. A member of this family is the famous poet and lyricist Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, who was also born in the castle.

You can explore the rooms of the castle and the Droste Museum there by yourself or on guiaded tours for an entrance fee. For both, you can use audio and video guides that are included in the fee. The videos are also available in sign language. Visiting the large garden park on the grounds is free. It was created by the Droste zu Hülshoff family over generations. Festivals are held there every year in May and November. And if you get hungry during your visit, the café-restaurant DROSTE will provide you with coffee, cakes and snacks.

The castle was first mentioned in documents in the 11th century. At that time there was probably only one house with walls on the later two castle islands. The changing owners extended the building again and again. In 1417, the Droste zu Hülshoff family acquired the castle complex and initially used it as a country residence for the summer months. The family mainly lived in the city of Münster. However, due to their experiences with the Anabaptist dominion, they then decided to leave Münster and make the castle their main residence. Due to the proximity to the city, however, the family had to tolerate the quartering of military troops in on the castle grounds time and again.

In 2012, the Droste zu Hülshoff family donated Hülshoff Castle with its inventory and all remaining lands to the "Annette von Droste zu Hülshoff" Foundation. In 2018, the "Burg Hülshoff - Center for Literature" opened there.

For more information about Burg Hülshoff, events and prices, please visit the castle's website (website available in English).

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Further information:

• Wikipedia article Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (English article)

• Wikipedia article 100-Schlösser-Route (article only available in German)