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
Subdivisions
Since 2009, the municipality is officially divided into six
Ortschaften, each containing one to five villages (
Ortsteile).
|
|
| 4.595 (3.140, 1.391, 29, 28, 7) |
| 1.586 (1.556, 30) |
| 1.691 (973, 58, 660) |
| 793 |
| 1.827 (1.608, 146, 73) |
| 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
Saltire 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==
External links
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