Verdant and romantic journeys into the past: 100 Castles and Palaces Route

With more than 100 castles and palaces, this route is such a majestic experience – the king of cycle tours.

On each of the four interconnecting circular tours, it's entirely up to you where you start and finish. Covering between 210 and 310 kilometres in length, they wind their way through the open countryside of the Münsterland region. The main attractions along the way are often just a few miles apart. Whether in Versailles-like gardens or buildings of the Gothic, Renaissance or baroque, the glorious heyday of knights, barons and princes is brought to life in a succession of well-preserved monuments erected for grandeur or protection. The Münsterland region also has a great many facilities for cyclists, where you can do everything from hiring a bike to getting it fixed. Terrain: mainly flat routes, mostly on cyclist-only paths or asphalt farm tracks away from busy roads. There are one or two gradients to tackle in the north. Scenery: the circular routes run mostly through leafy parks, meadows and pastureland and visit the finest palaces, castles and stately homes in the Münsterland region for a cultural and historical experience to remember.

• Length: 960 kilometres, 4 circular tours
• Route info: mainly flat terrain, hilly in parts, easily managed with children, majority of route suitable for trailers