All good things are ten

The "Kreisdistrict Recklinghausen", located in the northern part of the Ruhrgebiet in North-Rhine-Westphalia, is the most populated in Germany. 660,000 inhabitants are living in 10 cities. The particularity of the "Kreis Recklinghausen" is that it is a transition from the industrial Ruhrgebiet to the more rural "Münsterland".

Both industry and nature are therefore within reach. When the Kreis Recklinghausen claims "Zehn Städte machen Zukunft", this is both a slogan and a program. It shows that the Kreis and the cities are joining forces to achieve future objectives.

The Kreis was founded in 1816 by the Prussian King. It belonged to the ten subprefectorial districts which were created in the District of Münster after the victory over Napoleon in 1815. With 38.000 inhabitants and 781 square kilometers, the Kreis Recklinghausen was one of the largest "Kreis" in Prussia.

Wappen des Kreis Recklinghausen The coat of arms of the Kreis consist of a silver nettle leaf, on a green shield, and a black isosceles cross with a golden key in the middle. The silver nettle leaf is the symbol of the "Herrlichkeit Lembeck" region. The black cross reminds the fact that the "Vest Recklinghausen" belonged from the twelfth century to the nineteenth century to the "Landeshoheit Kurköln". The key represents the link to the parent church of the Vest Recklinghausen, St Peter.

The "Kreis Recklinghausen" has existed in its current form since the communal reform that took place in in North-Rhine-Westphalia in the mid-seventies. Each of the ten cities has its own identity. Castrop-Rauxel, the european city, is the place for international meetings of all kinds (from cultural to economic meetings) for more than 30 years.

Bild von einer Grünfläche des Kreises Visitors are often surprised by the high rate of green spaces (about 60 percent in Castrop). 87 hectares of greenness are also making the town of Datteln attractive. Dorsten, who once belonged to the Hanseatic League, is partly surrounded by rural spaces, and offers an interesting historical atmosphere, in particular around the Market and the old Town Hall.

For those who are more interested in a modern town centre, 2000 parking lots are available in Gladbeck. The geographical situation of Haltern is very attractive thanks to the Halterner Lake and the town centre enables to stroll along ancient houses, shops and cafés, all around the "Renaissance" town hall et the St Sixt tower. Herten is a city of contrasts : you can find futuristic architecture in the city centre and in the near Westerholt suburb, centuries-old half-timbered houses.

In recent years, the aim of Oer-Erkenschwick for many years has been to offer a better quality of life by taking care of ecological aspects in the whole town. In Marl, the largest mall of the Kreis (the "Marler Stern" with 42.000 square meters of selling area), enables you to go shopping by any weather. Recklinghausen, the centre of commerce and services, is also many-sided : on the one hand almost a village in the town, and on the other, in the centre, a successful symbiosis between bustling activities and the picturesque old town.

At last, Waltrop is a bridge between Dortmund and the more rural spaces of the Münsterland ; You should not miss the oldest residential building of Westphalia, the "Temple" of 1499, the ship elevators (1899) and in contrast to it the large lock inaugurated in 1989 : these buildings are testimonies to the progress.