Vreden between the Berkel, moorland and museums

Art, churches and local history

The parish church of St. George houses the Antwerp altarpiece. It is about 4.60 metres high, was restored in 1979/89 and is considered the church’s most important attraction. If you are interested in sacred art, this is a clearly defined cultural destination. Its approximate height also gives you an idea of the altarpiece’s dimensions.

The paper-cutting museum is located right on Vreden’s market square in a listed building. It is Germany’s first paper-cutting museum; its permanent exhibition traces the diverse history of this art from around 1700 to the present day. The subject therefore spans everything from early examples to contemporary works. During your stay, you can treat a museum visit as a cultural highlight in its own right, rather than equating it with the town’s natural attractions.

The collegiate church of St. Felicitas also offers a distinctive look at historic architecture: its oldest section is a noteworthy crypt with pillars and columns decorated in different ways. In Zwillbrock, the original interior of the church of St. Francis is among the best-preserved in Westphalia. The two churches offer different specific details: the crypt with its columns and pillars in one, and the preserved interior in the other.

The Museums-Hofanlage in Vreden’s town park is an open-air museum with agricultural buildings. Its centrepiece is the Früchting farmhouse, which came from Ellewick and was moved here in 1969. Another collection focuses on very small objects: the miniature shoe museum houses the world’s largest collection of miniature shoes. At the Noldes local history house in Vreden-Ammeloe, you can learn about the house’s history and culture and discover historic tools and agricultural equipment.

Experience the Berkel, the Venn and the surrounding landscape

The stretch of the Berkel between Stadtlohn and Vreden has retained its natural course. Steep banks, sandbanks and scours characterise this section. The Berkel flows through Coesfeld, Gescher, Stadtlohn and Vreden before reaching the Netherlands. This also connects the local landscape with the river’s course through several towns, without implying that they form part of a single excursion route.

You can explore Zwillbrocker Venn to the west of Vreden on a guided walk or on your own. If you would like to learn more about different landscape types, the visitor centre at the Zwillbrock Biological Station offers an interactive exhibition about moorland, heathland, woodland and grassland. You can choose between two different ways to explore: walking through the Venn and visiting an exhibition about landscape types.

NatureTour 1 starts and ends in Vreden and is about 30.5 kilometres long. Along the way, it passes through wide meadows and small woods, as well as typical farmsteads that shape the region’s landscape. Take the approximate distance into account when planning your day. The route brings together different landscape impressions in a single tour, while Zwillbrocker Venn offers a separate way to explore the area.

The 6-hectare Berkelsee is about 2 kilometres from Vreden town centre. Trees and shrubs line the lake, and a path runs around it. This is a more compact destination than the roughly 30.5-kilometre NatureTour. If you would rather plan a visit to a lake with a circular path than a longer tour, this is a specific difference to consider when choosing your outings.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Vreden, your preferred activities may help you decide: would you like to focus on churches, collections and local history, or are you most drawn to the landscapes along the Berkel and around the Venn? You can also combine the two; consider the individual destinations as different interests to explore on your trip.

More destinations: Ahaus, Gronau, Isselburg, Bocholt, Legden, Reken, Borken, Schöppingen.

Back to the main travel overview: Borken.