The Kernmünsterland is a major landscape unit in western Germany. It covers an area of about 2700 km² and lies at the heart of the Westphalian Basin and the historic region of Münsterland in the north of Westphalia. It is bounded to the west, north and east by the sandy countryside of the Westmünsterland and Ostmünsterland, whilst in the south it is bordered by the loess landscapes of the Hellweg Börde and . Geologically it rises clearly over the surrounding area on a bed of thinly covered Upper Cretaceous strata.