Rietberg: Mastholter See

Rietberg combines a carefully preserved historic centre with the open lowland setting of the Ems in a way that reflects its position in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia. The town developed as the seat of the Counts of Rietberg, whose county was once an imperial territory within the Holy Roman Empire. Half-timbered houses and brick façades give the centre a distinctively Westphalian character, while the Gartenschaupark, created for North Rhine-Westphalia’s 2008 state garden show, provides extensive public green space. Rietberg belongs to the Gütersloh district, a region of farmland and closely spaced small towns between Bielefeld and Paderborn. Browse additional webcams from the surrounding area to extend your view of eastern Westphalia.

Built around the Rhine trade corridor and the Ruhr coal-and-steel belt, North Rhine-Westphalia grew into Germany’s most populous state. The Rhine crosses its western side, linking Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bonn, while the Ruhr became one of Europe’s defining industrial regions. Dortmund, near these coordinates, reflects that legacy alongside a major football and brewing tradition. Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, remains the state’s best-known monument, and Essen’s Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex records the scale of its mining past. Forested uplands in the Sauerland and Teutoburg Forest broaden a region often associated only with cities and factories. Explore additional webcams nearby to better understand how North Rhine-Westphalia connects the Rhine, the Ruhr and its surrounding uplands.

Germany stretches from the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts to the Alps on its southern border, encompassing northern plains, river valleys and forested uplands. The Rhine, Danube and Elbe have long connected its regions, while the Black Forest and Bavarian Alps give the south a more dramatic relief. Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island reflect the capital’s role in German history and culture. Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rises above the Rhine, and the Bauhaus movement, founded in Weimar in 1919, transformed modern design far beyond Germany. Regional cooking, Christmas markets and brewing traditions bring further character to daily life. Browse additional webcams from the surrounding area to extend your view of Germany.