Raesfeld Castle

Raesfeld Castle (Schloss Raesfeld) in the Münsterland region is a Renaissance moated castle with the tallest tower of any castle in Westphalia. It sits between moats and parkland, and an old deer park invites long walks. You can admire the castle from outside at any time, visit a small history museum and explore the nature of the Hohe Mark nature park.

From moated castle to residence

The castle grew out of a medieval moated fortress. In the 14th century Bytter von Raesfeld built a castle with two corner towers, and in 1585 it passed to the Lords of Velen after an inheritance dispute. Count Alexander II of Velen expanded it between 1643 and 1658 into the residence that survives today. Its tower is 52.5 meters high. After the Velen family died out in 1733 the complex declined. Today the main castle houses the Akademie des Handwerks (a craft training academy), and a training center for craft-based monument preservation works in the outer castle.

What to see

• The castle and its moat: the exterior can be viewed at any time.
• Deer park (Tiergarten): about 100 hectares laid out around 1650, with red and fallow deer, trails, ponds and heath.
• Nature Park House: a modern glass building with the tourist office and a free hands-on exhibition about local wildlife.
• Museum am Schloss: a permanent exhibition on Raesfeld from 1939 to 1945.
• Castle chapel: guided tours show the Baroque altar and a lead heart.

Hours and admission (as of October 2026)

• Museum am Schloss: April 1 to October 31, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., free admission.
• Guided tour with chapel: for groups of up to 50 people, about one hour, 65 EUR for up to 20 people and 75 EUR for 20 to 50 people.
• Tourist information (Hagenwiese 40): October to March Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sunday and holidays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Phone +49 2865 955-240.

The grounds are freely accessible.

Getting there from Düsseldorf and Essen

Raesfeld is reached via the B 70 and B 224 roads, and the A 31 motorway is about 10 km away. It is roughly 45 km (about 45 minutes) from Essen and about 75 km from Münster; Düsseldorf airport is about 70 km away. The nearest train stations are Dorsten-Rhade (8 km) and Borken (10 km), and the nearest ICE station is Wesel (22 km); buses and an on-call taxi connect them.