The Menkemaborg Museum in Uithuizen is a castle museum in the province of Groningen, near the Wadden Sea. It is a fully furnished house with gardens, canals and moats that gives an impressive picture of life in a Groningen borg in the 18th century.
Menkemaborg History
Menkemaborg Castle in Uithuizen was originally a dwelling dating back to the 14th century. After extensive renovations around 1700, it remained virtually unchanged. The Menkemaborg Castle can be visited from March to December. Inside the castle you can admire the spacious rooms that were once inhabited and contemplate, among other things, the ancient chamber organ.
The gardens of Menkemaborg Castle are a magnificent example of the style in vogue in the 18th century. They include a tea pavilion, a labyrinth, an orchard and a vegetable garden. The gardens have been reconstructed according to the original design dating back to 1705.
The Alberda family, who resided in the castle during the renovation, commissioned several artists to embellish the interiors. The result was fireplaces surmounted by imposing hoods embellished with baroque carvings in wood and paintings with mythological scenes. The rooms are fully furnished with beautiful furniture, silverware, porcelain, copper objects and portraits of 1600 and 700. Overall, the complex, with its gardens and canals, offers an image of how the nobility of Groningen lived in those times.