Menkemaborg

House and garden

With origins dating back to the 14th-century, the Menkemaborg in Uithuizen has changed very little since undergoing dramatic renovations around 1700. Open to visitors from March through December, you can walk around the spacious rooms of the Menkemaborg, and admire features such as the cabinet organ.

The gardens at the Menkemaborg are a beautiful example of the 18th century style, and include a teahouse, maze, orchard and vegetable garden.  The gardens were built according to the original garden plans for the castle dating back to 1705.

Noblemen from Groningen

The residents during the renovations, the Alberda family, commissioned artists to beautify the interior of the house. These artists added imposing Baroque carved-wood mantelpieces and paintings depicting scenes from mythology. The rooms are fully decorated with beautiful furniture, silver, porcelain and copper accents, and portraits from the 17th and 18th centuries. The total complex including the manor home with its gardens and moats provides a clear idea of how the noblemen from Groningen lived in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The “Schathuis”

The name “schathuis” originates from the Frisian word “skat” or “sket” which means livestock. A schathuis is essentially the farmhouse of the estate. The schathuis was used to stable the horses and store the coaches and hay, but it was also used for cooking in and brewing beer. Today, the former schathuis  houses the pancake restaurant, where visitors can enjoy pancakes on the terrace with a view of the Menkemaborg.