Bestwig

{{Infobox German location |name = Bestwig |type = Gemeinde |image_photo = Bestwig 2010.jpg |image_caption = General view of Bestwig |image_coa = Gemeindewappen der Gemeinde Bestwig.svg |coordinates = {{coord|51|22|N|08|24|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}} |image_plan = Bestwig in HSK.svg |state = NRW |region = Arnsberg |district = Hochsauerlandkreis |elevation = 280-750 |area = 69.36 |postal_code = 59909 |area_code = 02904, 02905 |licence = HSK |Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 9 58 008 |divisions = 6, containing 17 ''Ortsteile'' (villages) |website = [https://www.bestwig.de/ www.bestwig.de] |mayor = Christoph Rosenau |leader_term = 2025–30 |party = CDU }} '''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 six ''Ortschaften'', each containing one to five villages (''Ortsteile'').

{| class="wikitable" |- ! Ortschaft || Ortsteile || Population<ref>Source: municipal website, [https://www.bestwig.de/ortsteile/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521145708/https://www.bestwig.de/ortsteile/ |date=2022-05-21 }} click left under to: ''Informationen zu den Gemeindeteilen''. First figure: population entire ''Ortschaft'', followed by the population of its ''Ortsteile''.</ref> |- | 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) |}

==Politics== The current mayor of Bestwig is Christoph Rosenau of the CDU, who has been serving as mayor since 2025. In the 2025 local elections he was elected with 68,25 % of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ergebnis |url=https://wahlen.kdvz.nrw/production/kw2025/05958008/praesentation/ergebnis.html?wahl_id=247&stimmentyp=0&id=ebene_3_id_51 |access-date=2026-04-10 |website=wahlen.kdvz.nrw |language=de}}</ref>

===City council=== After the 2025 local elections, the Bestwig city council is composed as follows:

{{election table}} ! colspan=2| Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- |- | bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| | align=left| Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | 2,916 | 61.3 | {{increase}} 4.2 | 17 | {{increase}} 1 |- | bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| | align=left| Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 1,642 | 34.5 | {{decrease}} 3.0 | 10 | ±0 |- | bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| | align=left| Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) | 200 | 4.2 | {{decrease}} 1.2 | 1 | {{decrease}} 1 |- ! colspan=2| Valid votes ! 4,758 ! 97.2 ! ! ! |- ! colspan=2| Invalid votes ! 136 ! 2.8 ! ! ! |- ! colspan=2| Total ! 4,894 ! 100.0 ! ! 28 ! ±0 |- ! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout ! 8,134 ! 60.2 ! ! ! |- | colspan=7| Source: [https://wahlen.kdvz.nrw/production/kw2025/05958008/praesentation/ergebnis.html?wahl_id=249&stimmentyp=0&id=ebene_3_id_51 City of Bestwig] |}

== 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== <gallery> Wasserfall_Plästerlegge_im_Hochsauerlandkreis_im_Naturschutzgebiet_Plästerlegge_bei_Wasserfall_(zu_Bestwig).JPG|Waterfall ''Plästerlegge'' near ''Wasserfall'' </gallery> * ''Wasserfall'' is named after its famous waterfall, a popular sight during walking tours. It is one of the largest cascades in North Rhine-Westphalia. *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071011121232/http://www.smmp.de/spirituell/angebote/gast_in_bestwig.asp Bergkloster Monastery, the motherhouse of the European Province of the Sisters of St Maria Magdalena Postel]

==References== <references />

== External links == {{Commons category|Bestwig}} * [https://www.bestwig.de Official site] {{in lang|de}}

Category:Hochsauerlandkreis