Riesenbeck Driving & Riding Route: 24 km through Surenburg Forest

A 24 km ride through Riesenbeck’s forests and heaths

Just a short hop north-west of Brochterbeck, the village of Riesenbeck — part of Hörstel — is one of the great strongholds of riding and carriage driving in the Münsterland. On the southern slopes of the Teutoburg Forest a signposted circular route of about 24 kilometres lets you explore the countryside on horseback or behind a team, and it makes an easy, rewarding day out from your holiday base.

The route runs as two connected loops — one for riders, one for carriage drivers — through the quiet Surenburg Forest, where everyday life is soon left far behind. It passes the moated Surenburg Castle (today a hotel) and the internationally renowned “Riesenbeck International” equestrian centre, then opens out southwards into the Haverforthswiesen nature reserve — a landscape of former heaths with wet and dry heath and broad wet meadows — before looping past fields and tree-lined avenues towards the edge of Saerbeck.

An additional loop skirts the Saerbeck Bioenergy Park, a 90-hectare former munitions depot where wind, sun and biomass now generate enough electricity for around 19,000 households — a striking contrast to the ancient woodland just a few kilometres away.

Good to know

• Distance: about 24 km, circular
• Difficulty: easy
• Type: riding & carriage-driving route (two loops)
• Signage: the route follows the waymarked Münsterland Riding Route; the tour itself is not separately signed, so bring the map or the GPS track
• Detour: Surenburg Castle is only a few minutes away and well worth a visit

Great for mountain bikers too

You don’t need a horse to enjoy this loop. The forest tracks, sandy heath paths and long avenues are just as much fun on two wheels, so the route also works beautifully as a gravel or mountain-bike tour. Please give horses and carriages plenty of room, slow right down as you pass and, if in doubt, stop — a calm, considerate approach keeps the trails friendly for everyone.

From your holiday flat in Brochterbeck

Riesenbeck and the Surenburg lie only a few kilometres from our holiday apartment, so the loop is easy to reach for a half- or full-day outing. Download the official GPX and KML tracks from Münsterland e.V., follow the map below, and pair your ride, drive or bike tour with a stop at Surenburg Castle. The start of the loop is marked on the map.