Raesfeld

Raesfeld (German pronunciation: [ˈʁaːsfɛlt]) is a municipality in the district of Borken in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 10 km south of Borken and 30 km east of the Dutch border. Raesfeld's landmark is the moated castle Schloss Raesfeld, originally built in the 13th century and extended and remodeled in Renaissance style in the 17th century. It is now primarily used by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as a center for the teaching of crafts; the formal gardens have been lost, but the wildlife park has been restored and is part of the European Garden Heritage Network. The municipality of Raesfeld includes Erle, a village within the Naturpark Hohe Mark that has an ancient oak, the Femeiche, thought to be 600–850 years old and named for Vehmic court sessions formerly held under it.