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Region MünsterlandThe Münsterland is a mosaic-type landscape covering 6,000 km2 in the north-west of North Rhine-Westphalia, between the Teutoburger Wald and Lippe, the Emsland of Lower Saxony and the Netherlands. The area’s typical buildings include churches, monasteries, storehouses, moated farmsteads and moated castles. The numerous individual farmsteads surrounded by meadows, pastures, fields, embankment hedges and small woods give the Münsterländer Parklandschaft (Münsterland Park Landscape) its unique charm. Approximately 1.6 million people live in its 66 towns and municipalities. The “Westphalian metropolis” of Münster with approximately 270,000 inhabitants is the vibrant heart and centre of the region. In an international competition in 2005, Münster received an award as one of the best towns of the world to live in, not least because of its outstanding network of open spaces. The citizens of the Münsterland countered old biases long ago and have responded to the demands of international tourism with a modern infrastructure. The area has hence been a first choice for tourists for many years, even amongst those who are not cyclists. Nature, culture, innovative science, modern industry and a stable structure of medium-sized companies combine to form a strong region. Approximately 40,000 students are enrolled at the third biggest university in Germany, the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität. A well-developed infrastructure and a wide variety of companies from fields such as mechanical engineering, chemistry, textiles, food production and environmental technology offer work and an excellent quality of life for the population. The marketing of high-quality regional products has been practised here for a long time and is of increasing importance. The Münsterland has become a Mecca of equestrian sport. Nowhere else are there so many institutions dealing with horses. Olympic winners, European champions and world champions from all equestrian disciplines and of all ages come from here. The region does not have any particularly spectacular sights. It is, rather, a treasure trove of gems. Numerous grand houses and moated castles, mostly off the main roads, play their role in creating a castle landscape which combines with the park landscape. The “100-Castle Route” is one of the most popular routes for a tour of the area. The REGIONALE 2004 of North Rhine-Westphalia helped to increase awareness of the garden culture of the region. The Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe brought the potential of garden culture in eastern Münsterland to the attention of a broad public for the first time with the project “Historische Gärten und Parks links und rechts der Ems” (“Historical Gardens and Parks to the left and right of the Ems River”). With the ensuing project “Gartenreich(es) Westmünsterland” (“Westmünsterland’s Wealth of Gardens”), the complete Münsterland and the charms of its gardens will be documented over the coming years. The results of these projects will be added to the European Garden Heritage Network (EGHN), thereby linking the garden culture of the Münsterland into the European garden network.
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