Castle Nordkirchen
NORDKIRCHEN CASTLE
The castle Nordkirchen in the district Coesfeld in Münsterland is one of the most important castles in North Rhine-Westphalia and the largest moated castle in Westphalia. Because of its structural dimensions and the Baroque design, but also because of the impressive landscape and garden art in the adjacent castle garden, Castle Nordkirchen is also called "Westphalian Versailles". Castle and park were planned by the Westphalian Baroque master builder Johann Conrad Schlaun. The castle building itself with its magnificent halls and the high-baroque castle chapel with precious stucco work, ceiling paintings and wood carvings can be visited on Sundays and public holidays on guided tours every hour. The castle garden is one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe. Numerous well-known garden artists have been involved in the design of the garden since the construction of the palace in the 18th century by Prince Bishop Friedrich Christian von Münster from the House of Plettenberg-Lenhausen. Some parts of the castle park were created on the model of English landscape gardens, other parts in turn were "rebarockisiert" over time. Today, the castle garden is still particularly fascinating due to the lawns and broderie parterres, the mold trees and numerous sculptures in the park, but also the avenues and axes. The Nordkirchen Castle with its important park has been declared by UNESCO as a "Gesamtkunstwerk of international standing" worthy of protection. In 1959, the palace was purchased by the State of Nordrhein-Westfalen and has since been the site of “Fachhochschule für Finanzen Nordrhein-Westfalen”, a state-run college specializing in the training of future tax inspectors......
IMPRESSIONS OF SCHLOSS NORDKIRCHEN
The castle Nordkirchen and the adjacent natural forest is always the destination of a weekend outing. Over the years, a lot of pictures have collected. I would like to introduce a few to you here.
THE CHINESE FOUNTAIN
To the south of this building complex there is a starway with the Chinese fountain in the middle. The water basin of the fountain has a diameter of eleven meters and a fountain that is up to ten meters high. Because of the wide spread of water associated with it, it is only operated up to a maximum height of seven meters today. East Asian sculptures frame the fountain. They represent mandarins, samurais, Buddhas, but also simple farmers. They were made between 1910 and 1914 by the sculptor Reicks from Lüdinghausen and have been in their current location since 1972. They used to line the swan pond.
