Westphalia, as the name would suggest, is the western part of something. In this case, its the western part of the ancient Saxon Kingdom that was brutally suppressed by Charlemagne and then incorporated into his empire. In this ancient sense, Westphalia includes a bit more of the Weser Valley and all of the Sauerland except the small part around Siegen.

In more modern times, Westphalia was to be differentiated from the Münsterland and the districts on the Ems river. It became increasingly associated with the Sauerland and the small strip of land on the North Side of the Ruhr. As the Sauerland has traditions of its own, it makes more sense to look at the original incarnation of Westphalia, a land of great cities and great rivers.

Despite near-total annihilation in WWII, both of the great cities, Münster and Dortmund, still show the wealth that the region once offered. The Bishop of Münster and the Imperial City of Dortmund sat on strategic trade routes that facilitated the transfer of ideas and wealth. The beauty of the region though lies in its towns and countless castles. It is certainly a region worth your visit.