Discover Bocholt

Bocholt brings its textile history to life through distinctive city landmarks and a wide range of leisure activities. At the LWL Museum TextilWerk, a weaving mill and a spinning mill are connected by a bridge over the Aa. If you want to focus your stay on a particular theme, you can choose between visiting the museum, exploring the city’s history and getting active outdoors—and select a holiday apartment based on your interests.

Textile history across two sites

The LWL Museum TextilWerk comprises two distinct sites: the weaving mill and the spinning mill. A bridge over the Aa connects the two buildings. The distances from the train station also differ: the spinning mill is about 200 metres away, while the weaving mill is about 900 metres away. If you plan to make TextilWerk a key part of your trip, these details can help you find your way around. Bocholt is reachable by bus from Münster and the Netherlands; there are bus and train connections from Wesel.

The museum is also the starting and finishing point for a digital cycling tour exploring Bocholt’s textile history. Cyclists choose when to set off and how long to spend on the tour. This allows you to fit it around your own schedule; it combines the theme of textile history with a cycle ride at your own pace, without a set timetable.

City history and culture

St. George’s Church was Bocholt’s first parish church and is considered one of Westphalia’s oldest and most significant church buildings. Since the city’s 800th anniversary in 2022, a bronze model of the city has stood on St. George’s Square, between the church and the Historic Town Hall. It shows Bocholt around 1822, with the outlines and notable buildings of the time. This square brings together a historic church building and a model of the city as it was in an earlier era.

Another cultural landmark is the New Town Hall on Berliner Platz. Built in the 1970s, the building houses a cultural centre and a theatre. The cityscape also reflects Bocholt’s industrial history: near the Shopping Arkaden stands the historic “Fuckepott” steam engine. It is one of the few steam engines in Germany whose horizontal core section has been preserved, thanks to this distinctive surviving component.

Outdoor activities

The Aasee leisure complex offers a variety of ways to spend active and fun-filled hours. Facilities include a mountain bike and skate park, a bouldering wall and a mini pitch for handball, basketball and football. There are also a mini-golf course, a boules court, a low-ropes climbing course and an adventure playground. The options range from getting active on the courses and pitch to playing mini-golf or boules. The activities you want to prioritise on your trip may also influence your choice of holiday apartment in Bocholt.

If you would rather plan a signposted route through the city forest, there are three trails, approximately 2.6, 3.9 and 10 kilometres long. The approximately 2.6-kilometre route is popular with joggers, and exercise equipment is available along the way. The different trail lengths give you a clear basis for planning your day, without having to commit to just one route.

Bocholt as a base for your trip

When choosing a holiday apartment, it is worth first considering which experiences matter most for your trip: the city’s textile history, its culture and distinctive architecture, or outdoor activities. The information about the train station and the two parts of TextilWerk can help you plan a visit focused on the museum. If you want to combine different interests, you can explore the places and activities mentioned at your own pace, rather than planning your trip around just one theme.

More towns to explore: Legden, Isselburg, Heiden, Velen, Ahaus, Vreden, Schöppingen and Borken.

Back to the main travel overview: Borken.