Heek offers a range of starting points for a trip combining culture and landscape: the history of the Catholic Church of St. Ludgerus, the Schlöffken custom celebrated each year, and the nearby Dinkel Valley Nature Reserve.

Church, Custom and Guided Tours in Heek

The Catholic Church of St. Ludgerus was first mentioned in a document in 1256. The nave, faced with rubble stone, has been preserved. Among its art-historical features is the late Romanesque portal on the south side. This makes it possible to trace the church’s long history through specific parts of the building, rather than relying solely on a date.

Another cultural tradition marks the month of January: in Heek, the Schlöffken custom has been observed every year during this month for generations. The men walk through the village wearing Schlöffken attire, with a wooden shoe on one foot and a leather shoe on the other, carrying a stick and a Mettwurst sausage. Along the way, they visit the local inns in turn. Those who wish to take this custom into account when planning their trip can note that January is the time of year mentioned; the custom should not be treated as an event held throughout the year.

The Schlöffken statue at Eppingscher Hof commemorates the custom, which dates back to a Carnival tradition and originated in the 19th century. The church, statue and custom each highlight a different aspect of the past: the portal is part of the architectural history of St. Ludgerus, while the statue recalls a local tradition passed down through generations.

Guided tours of most of the sights in Heek, Nienborg and the Ahle farming community are available by arrangement. Information is available from the Heek municipal service office. Arrangements are part of planning your visit; the tours cover most, but not all, of the sights.

Landscape and Culture Nearby

The Dinkel Valley Nature Reserve lies just south of Heek. It covers around four kilometres of the Dinkel’s largely natural course between Düstermühle in the south and the Oldemölls Venneken Nature Reserve in the north. The area also includes adjacent wooded areas and extensive grassland. The approximate length and named endpoints give a sense of the area’s location, without implying a specific visitor route.

The NRW State Music Academy is also located nearby: its activities are spread across seven buildings in the Nienborg ring-fort complex and in Heek-Nienborg. The Academy’s music centre in Heek-Nienborg has three halls; the concert hall can accommodate up to 300 people. If you plan to attend a particular concert, please check the information for that event.

The Dinkel Cycle Route is a historical point of reference for local cycling and hiking links: when it opened in 2014, it closed a gap west of Nienborg between the Dinkel nature trail and the village.

In the broader Borken destination

The broader Borken destination offers a wider regional perspective. Borken district is in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Münster administrative region, north of the Ruhr area; it is the westernmost district of Münsterland. For cycling in the district, more than 5,000 kilometres of well-developed routes away from busy roads are available. The junction-based network allows flexible route planning across state and district boundaries.

Themed cycling routes in Borken district and Münsterland include the 100 Castles Route, the Hohe Mark Cycle Route and the Flamingo Route. The 100 Castles Route, the EuroVelo 3 R1 and the Flamingo Route also meet in Vreden.

One cultural destination in the broader Borken area is kult Westmünsterland in Vreden. Its exhibition explores the history and culture of Westmünsterland and the neighbouring Dutch region of Achterhoek. The permanent exhibition examines borders from a range of perspectives: trade and transport, smuggling and the law, faith and religion, globalisation and regional identity, and the past and present. The museum thus complements the closer focus on Heek’s church and custom with a regional perspective on history and border regions.

Discover more destinations: Südlohn, Heiden, Ahaus, Borken, Vreden, Gronau, Isselburg, Raesfeld.

Go to the broader travel overview: Borken.