Soest Börde
The Soest Börde () is an historical territorial lordship and a cultural landscape in the centre of the German region of Westphalia, between Sauerland in the south and Münsterland in the north. It is known nationally for being a very fertile region thanks to the depth of its loess soils that, it terms of yield are only exceeded in Germany by the Magdeburg Börde. The term "börde" has a twin meaning here. Administratively it refers to a former juridical district and agriculturally to a fertile lowland. Historically-administratively the Soest Börde comprised the former territorial lordship of the town  of Soest in the present municipalities of Soest, Bad Sassendorf and Welver. From a natural regional perspective, it belongs to the Hellwegbörden, whose eponymous centre it represents. Within the natural region classification, however, the Soest Börde, is not recognized as a unit. Instead the sub-regions of the "Soest Upper" and "Lower Börde" are used, the boundaries of which are not the same as the borders of the historical Soest Börde. The boundary between the two sub-regions runs just north of the Hellweg.