The Westerberg, also called the Westerather Berg, is, at , the highest elevation in the Baumberge

Baumberge

The Baumberge are the highest hills in the natural regions of Münsterland and Kernmünsterland with a maximum height of . They are located between Münster and Coesfeld, which is itself close to the southwest edge of the Baumberge....

 hills and the German region of Münsterland. It is located in this small range of hills between the 3 villages of Billerbeck

Billerbeck

Billerbeck is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.-Neighbor towns/cities:Billerbeck has boundaries to Rosendahl, Laer, Altenberge, Havixbeck, Nottuln and Coesfeld.-City Districts:* Stadt Billerbeck,...

, Havixbeck

Havixbeck

Havixbeck is a municipality at the north-east edge of the Baumberge in the district of Coesfeld, in northern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approx. 15 km west of Münster.- Geographical Location :...

 and Nottuln

Nottuln

Nottuln is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Neighbouring municipalities:* Billerbeck* Havixbeck* Senden, North Rhine-Westphalia* Dülmen* Coesfeld-Division of the municipality:...

.

Longinus Tower

On the summit of the Westerberg, which is in places only sparsely wooded, stands the Longinus Tower

Longinus Tower

The Longinus Tower is a 32-metre high observation tower located in Nottuln, Germany. It was erected by the Baumberge Club between 1897 and 1901 on the summit of the 182.61 metre high Westerberg hill...

 (Longinusturm), an observation tower about 30 m high that was built by the Baumberge Society between 1897 and 1901. It is made of Baumberge Lime Sandstone.

Views

The Longinus Tower, which can usually be climbed all year round, dominates the Baumberge and is its chief attraction. From its observation deck, which requires a head for heights, there is often a good, panoramic view over the Baumberge and the countryside surrounding this hill country in western Münsterland. From here visitors can see the Teutoburg Forest

Teutoburg Forest

The Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia which used to be believed to be the scene of a decisive battle in AD 9...

 (to the northeast), the aforementioned villages, the Emsland

Emsland

Landkreis Emsland is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany named after the river Ems. It is bounded by the districts of Leer, Cloppenburg and Osnabrück, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia , the district of Bentheim and the Netherlands .- History :For a long time the region of the Emsland was...

 (to the north), the Westphalian Basin (to the east), the Sauerland

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...

 (to the southeast), the Ruhrgebiet (to the south), the Bergen hills and even the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 (to the west).

The tower, which can be accessed by road from the surrounding villages, is a good start and end point for walks, short or long, for example into the valley of the Stever

Stever

Stever is a river of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of North Rhine-Westphalia...

. On clear days, hundreds of walkers, cyclists, motorcyclists and car drivers gather, not only to stop at the cafe, but also to enjoy the views.

Baumbergschnecke

The Café Longinus by the tower describes itself as "the highest cafe in the Münsterland". From here there are tours on an observation bus, the Baumbergschnecke ("Baumberge Snail") that crawls through the wooded countryside at 6 km/h. It is a veteran bus that has been converted and extended into a sightseeing bus.

Local places of interest

• Hülshoff Castle (Burg Hülshoff)
• Baumberge Sandstone Museum (Baumberger Sandsteinmuseum)
• Holtwicker Ei
• Varlar Castle (Schloss Varlar)
• Darfeld Water Castle (Wasserschloss Darfeld)
• the historic village centre of Nottuln
  Nottuln
  Nottuln is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Neighbouring municipalities:* Billerbeck* Havixbeck* Senden, North Rhine-Westphalia* Dülmen* Coesfeld-Division of the municipality:...