Tecklenburg – Old Town, Open-Air Theatre and Hiking Trails

Old Town, Puppet Museum and Torhaus Legge

The puppet museum is housed in a historic half-timbered building dating from 1684 and contains one of the most valuable puppet collections in North Rhine-Westphalia. In addition to the Botsch and Nahrath collections, you can see dollhouses, toy shops and a wide variety of toys from past decades. The exhibition also includes several works by the painter Otto Modersohn.

With its distinctive archway, Torhaus Legge is centrally located in Tecklenburg’s old town. It was built in 1577 and expanded in 1660 at the behest of Count Mauritz of Tecklenburg to serve as a linen inspection office, known as the Legge. The building’s history is therefore linked to an earlier craft-related function. Today, the Torhaus hosts changing art exhibitions throughout the year, which you can usually visit at weekends.

Open-Air Theatre and Events

The FreilichtSpiele Tecklenburg make use of the historic setting for elaborate musical productions that delight almost 100,000 visitors from across Germany every year. The open-air theatre is set within the ruins of a medieval castle and has more than 2,300 seats, 1,800 of which are covered. As the performance programme may vary, check the dates before travelling if a musical is important to your plans.

The events calendar also offers seasonal occasions: the traditional Tecklenburg Wine Festival takes place on the first weekend in September in the historic market square. Winemakers from renowned German wine regions with long traditions present selected wines there. The St Nicholas Market takes place in the historic old town from Friday to Sunday on the second weekend of Advent. Exact dates may vary from year to year.

Spa Park and Trails Around Tecklenburg

Tecklenburg Spa Park is situated in a valley in the heart of the hilltop town. Its facilities include a Kneipp pool, a medicinal herb garden and a boules court. QR-code stations also let you learn about the herb garden and the water-treading pool without a guided tour; videos are available on your smartphone.

There are trails to choose from with different stated lengths and routes. Signs in the old town point to the 4 km Hexenpfad (Witches’ Trail), which leads through the forest. There are places for children to climb along the way; sturdy footwear is recommended. The 6.3 km Teutostadtschleife Tecklenburger Romantik is a moderately difficult circular hike starting and ending at the Burgberg car park. Check its route information before setting out. The “Hexenritt und Düvelskram” (Witches’ Ride and Devilry) legend trail begins just outside Tecklenburg’s gates. These options therefore differ not only in length but also in their described features and starting points.

Tecklenburg is also part of the Nordkurs Castle Route in the Tecklenburger Land region. If you are planning to travel by public transport, there are two more useful reference points: the Teuto-Express stops at Tecklenburg’s old railway station on its route between Ibbenbüren and Bad Laer. Bus route R45 runs to the “Tecklenburg-Stadt” stop; check the current timetable for specific departure times.

The Wider Regional Setting

The wider Steinfurt travel region is characterised by a parkland landscape and numerous manor houses, moated castles, monasteries and palaces. The 100 Castles Route links important architectural monuments in the Steinfurt district. The twelve NaTourismus routes are also part of this regional setting: they run through almost all the towns and villages in the Steinfurt and Tecklenburger Land regions, are between 25 and 54 kilometres long, and are suitable for discovering the diverse flora and fauna. The Ems Cycle Route runs for around 60 kilometres through the Steinfurt district.

Discover more destinations: Westerkappeln, Recke, Wettringen, Laer, Lotte, Emsdetten, Hörstel, Rheine

Back to the regional travel overview: Steinfurt.