Bestwig
Bestwig | |
---|---|
![]() General view of Bestwig | |
Location of Bestwig within Hochsauerlandkreis district ![]() | |
Coordinates: 51°22′N 08°24′E / 51.367°N 8.400°E | |
Country | Germany |
State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
Admin. region | Arnsberg |
District | Hochsauerlandkreis |
Subdivisions | 6, containing of 17 Ortsteile (villages) |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–25) | Ralf Péus[1] (CDU) |
Area | |
• Total | 69.36 km2 (26.78 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 750 m (2,460 ft) |
Lowest elevation | 280 m (920 ft) |
Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 10,677 |
• Density | 150/km2 (400/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Postal codes | 59909 |
Dialling codes | 02904, 02905 |
Vehicle registration | HSK |
Website | www.bestwig.de |
Bestwig is a municipality in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
[edit]Bestwig is situated on the river Ruhr, approx. 10 km east of Meschede. It lies on the German Autobahn A 46. Bestwig has a railway station, connecting the town through local trains to Dortmund Hauptbahnhof, Winterberg and Hagen Hauptbahnhof.
Neighbouring municipalities
[edit]Subdivisions
[edit]Since 2009, the municipality is officially divided into 6 so-called Ortschaften, each containing of one to five villages (Ortsteile).
Ortschaft | Ortsteile | Population[3] |
---|---|---|
Velmede | Velmede, Bestwig, Föckinghausen, Nierbachtal, Halbeswig | 4.595 (3.140, 1.391, 29, 28, 7) |
Nuttlar | Nuttlar, Grimlinghausen | 1.586 (1.556, 30) |
Ostwig | Ostwig, Alfert, Borghausen | 1.691 (973, 58, 660) |
Heringhausen | Heringhausen | 793 |
Ramsbeck | Ramsbeck, Berlar, Valme | 1.827 (1.608, 146, 73) |
Andreasberg | Andreasberg, Dörnberg, Wasserfall | 609 (482, 76, 51) |
Economy
[edit]Bestwig, surrounded by many acres of pine tree forests, is a centre of Christmas tree production.
Tourism, however, is the most important source of income. The Sauerland forests are popular among hikers and, in winter, skiing is possible.
Twin towns
[edit]Bestwig has no official partnership with another town, but has close to ties to Niederorschel (Thuringia, Germany) and Niederwiesa (Saxony, Germany).
Coat of arms
[edit]The coat of arms shows a silver Saint Andrew's Cross on blue ground. The Saint Andrew's Cross is a reference to the patron of the parish church in Velmede, Saint Andrew. The colors silver and blue show the allegiance to the former county of Arnsberg.
Notable natives
[edit]- Franz Hoffmeister (1898-1943), Roman Catholic priest
- Theo Bücker (born 1948), coach of Lebanon's national football team
- Wilhelmine Lübke (1885–1981), First Lady
- Ferdinand von Lüninck (born 1888), German nobleman (a Freiherr i.e. a Baron) Roman Catholic, who participated in plans to overthrow Hitler on 20 July 1944. Arrested after plot failed and sentenced to death. Hanged on 14 November 1944.
- Hedwig von Beverfoerde (born 1963), German noblewoman, right-wing political activist and Traditional Catholic
Notable places in Bestwig
[edit]-
Waterfall Plästerlegge near Wasserfall
- Wasserfall is named after its famous waterfall, 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
[edit]- ^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 21 June 2021.
- ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2023 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus vom 9. Mai 2011" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ Source: municipal website, [1] Archived 2022-05-21 at the Wayback Machine click left under to: Informationen zu den Gemeindeteilen. First figure: population entire Ortschaft, followed by the population of its Ortsteile.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Official site (in German)