Rinkerode brings together architectural history, milling technology and nature trails: St. Pankratius Church is an example of historic church architecture, the Mill and Equipment Museum explores flour production, and walking and cycling routes offer different ways to explore the surrounding area. Two routes with particularly distinct profiles are the R 02 circular walk and the approximately 61-kilometre Drensteinfurt Eight.
Church and Milling Technology
The present-day St. Pankratius Church in Rinkerode was built by Gottfried Laurenz Pictorius between 1721 and 1724. This makes it possible to combine a visit focused on local history with a specific building and a clearly stated construction period. The Rinkerode Mill and Equipment Museum focuses on something different: using original exhibits, it showcases historic flour production and milling technology.
The steam engine plays a special role there. Visitors can see it and set it in motion, though it no longer runs on steam. In this way, alongside the historic technology, the museum also showcases a machine whose movement can still be experienced. The museum is located directly on federal highway B 54, south of MĂĽnster.
Local Walking Tours and Hiking Trails
The “Rinkerode Historic Village Walk” comprises 21 information panels that can be explored in the village and beyond. The walk was established in 2011, and its panels can be visited on foot or by bicycle. Those interested in local history will find a series of stops here rather than a single building. The “Historic Town Walk” is also signposted in Drensteinfurt and Rinkerode.
The R 02 circular walk passes through the Rinkerode district and the forested Davert. It starts at St. Pankratius Church, reaches Haus Borg after about 2.5 kilometres, and then returns to Rinkerode. Along the way, R 02 follows the main hiking trails marked X 3, X 15 and X 14, as well as a connecting trail marked with a diamond. The starting point, intermediate destination and trail markers provide a clear framework for anyone making a walk the focus of their visit.
The Davert and the Cycling Route
At 2,228 hectares, the Davert is the largest deciduous forest area in the MĂĽnsterland. It is protected as a nature reserve, an FFH site and a bird sanctuary, and is part of the European natural heritage network NATURA 2000. It forms the main landscape feature of the R 02 route: the walk passes through Rinkerode and the forested Davert, while the historic signposted route, with its information panels, focuses on local history.
Those considering a cycling trip instead of a walk will find a different scale in the “Drensteinfurt Eight.” Introduced in 2026, the route is around 61 kilometres long and passes through the three districts of Drensteinfurt, Rinkerode and Walstedde. It can be split into two stages. Its approximate total length and the option to split it up are useful points of reference for planning the ride, without specifying a particular duration.
The options differ mainly in the activity and the route details provided: R 02 is a circular walk with a section of about 2.5 kilometres to Haus Borg; the Drensteinfurt Eight is a cycling route of around 61 kilometres that can be divided into two stages. You can choose how to explore Rinkerode based on your interest in local history, milling technology, walking or cycling.
For the wider travel overview: Drensteinfurt.
