Bestwig is a municipality in the Hochsauerland district, in

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Geography

Bestwig is situated on the river

Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...

, approx. 10 km east of Meschede. It lies on the German

Autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...

A 46. Bestwig has a railway station, connecting the town through local trains to

Dortmund Hauptbahnhof Dortmund Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The station's origins lie in a joint station of the Köln-Mindener Eisenbahn and Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn which was built north of the city centr ...

Winterberg Winterberg ( Westphalian: ''Winnenmerg'') is a town in the Hochsauerland district of North Rhine-Westphalia, central Germany and a major winter sport resort of the Wintersport Arena Sauerland. Geography Winterberg is located in the middle of ...

and Hagen Hauptbahnhof.

Neighbouring municipalities

* Olsberg *

Schmallenberg Schmallenberg ( Westphalian: ''Smalmereg'') is a town and a climatic health resort in the High Sauerland District, Germany. By area, it is the third biggest of all cities and towns of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the second biggest o ...

* Meschede * Rüthen * Warstein

Subdivisions

Since 2009, the municipality is officially divided into 6 so-called ''Ortschaften'', each containing of one to five villages (Ortsteile'').

Economy

Bestwig, surrounded by many acres of

pine tree A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...

forests, is a centre of

Christmas tree production Christmas tree production occurs worldwide on Christmas tree farms, in artificial tree factories and from native strands of pine and fir trees. Christmas trees, pine and fir trees purposely grown for use as a Christmas tree, are grown on plantatio ...

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

, however, is the most important source of income. The

Sauerland The Sauerland () is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited. The Sauerland is the largest tourist region in ...

forests are popular among hikers and, in winter,

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

is possible.

Twin towns

Bestwig has no official partnership with another town, but has close to ties to Niederorschel (

Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and larg ...

) and

Niederwiesa Niederwiesa is a municipality in the district of Mittelsachsen, in Saxony, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, ...

(

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

Coat of arms

The coat of arms shows a silver

Saint Andrew's Cross Saint Andrew's Cross or Andrew Cross may refer to: * The x-shaped cross on which Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred by crucifixion * Saltire, a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, including a gallery of flags ** Flag of Sc ...

on blue ground. The ''Saint Andrew's Cross'' is a reference to the patron of the parish church in Velmede,

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...

. The colors silver and blue show the allegiance to the former county of Arnsberg.

Notable natives

* Franz Hoffmeister (1898-1943), Roman Catholic priest *

Theo Bücker Johannes Theodor "Theo" Bücker (born 10 July 1948) is a German football manager and a former player, who is the current coach of the under-15 team of Lebanese club Athletico SC (Lebanon), Athletico SC. Coaching career Return to Lebanon On ...

(born 1948), coach of Lebanon's national football team * Wilhelmine Lübke (1885–1981), First Lady *

Ferdinand von Lüninck Ferdinand Joseph Meinolph Anton Maria Freiherr von Lüninck (3 August 1888 – 14 November 1944) was a German landowner and officer. Born at the family estate Haus Ostwig, in Ostwig, Province of Westphalia, Ferdinand Freiherr von Lüninck was ...

(born 1888), German nobleman (a

Freiherr (; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...

i.e. a

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

)

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

, who participated in plans to overthrow

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...

on 20 July 1944. Arrested after plot failed and sentenced to death. Hanged on 14 November 1944. *

Hedwig von Beverfoerde Baroness Hedwig von Elverfeldt gennant Beverfoerde zu Werries (german: Hedwig Freifrau von Elverfeldt genannt Beverförde zu Werries, née von Lüninck; born 1963) is a German conservative politician and Catholic activist. A former member of the ...

(born 1963), German noblewoman, right-wing political activist and

Traditional Catholic A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays o ...

Notable places in Bestwig

Wasserfall_Plästerlegge_im_Hochsauerlandkreis_im_Naturschutzgebiet_Plästerlegge_bei_Wasserfall_(zu_Bestwig).JPG, Waterfall ''Plästerlegge'' near ''Wasserfall'' * ''Wasserfall'' is named after its famous

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

, a popular sight during walking tours. It is one of the largest cascades in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Bergkloster Monastery, the motherhouse of the European Province of the Sisters of St Maria Magdalena Postel

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control Hochsauerlandkreis