Münster (region)

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Münster
Map of North Rhine-Westphalia highlighting the Regierungsbezirk of Münster
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
District seat	Münster
Area	6,904.93 km²
Population	2,619,372 (31 Dec. 2006)
Pop. density	379 /km²
Web page	bezreg-muenster.nrw.de

Münster is one of the five Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the north of the state. It covers mostly the rural lands of the Münsterland. The Münsterland is famous for its castles, e.g. Castle Nordkirchen and Castle Ahaus. The region offers more the 100 castles, all linked up by the bike path 100 Schlösser Route. Actually, the simplest way to explore the Münsterland is by bicycle. The mostly flat landscape with its architectural and cultural treasures invites both, comfortable Pättkes-Touren as well as ambitious cycling. Embedded in a 4,500 km long network of cycle paths are not only the most popular topics routes, but also the many small and large delightful tours and round courses through the region. A sophisticated infrastructure for cyclists with bed & Bike farms, navigation systems, and service-stations makes Münsterland a cycling-paradise.

The history of the Regierungsbezirk dates back to 1815, when it was one of the original 25 Regierungsbezirke created as a subdivision of the provinces of Prussia. The last reorganization of the districts was done in 1975, when the number of districts was reduced from 10 to 5, and the number of district-free cities from six to three.