Bestwig

Municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Coat of arms

Location of Bestwig within Hochsauerlandkreis district

(2020–25) Ralf Péus^[1] (CDU)Area

• Total69.36 km² (26.78 sq mi)Highest elevation

750 m (2,460 ft)Lowest elevation

280 m (920 ft)Population

(2022-12-31)^[2]

• Total10,695 • Density150/km² (400/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)Postal codes

59909

Dialling codes02904, 02905Vehicle registrationHSKWebsitewww.bestwig.de

Bestwig is a municipality in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Geography

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

Olsberg
Schmallenberg
Meschede
Rüthen
Warstein

Subdivisions

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

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

Bestwig has no official partnership with another town, but has close to ties to Niederorschel (Thuringia, Germany) and Niederwiesa (Saxony, Germany).

Coat of arms

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

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

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

^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 21 June 2021.
^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2022 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus vom 9. Mai 2011" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
^ 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.