Jul 14, 2009, 13:45 GMT
Groningen, the Netherlands - The north-east province of Groningen in the Netherlands once boasted around 200 castle farms or fortified manor houses yet only 16 have survived the ravages of time.
The good news is that many of these former 'Borgen' which dot the landscape have been turned into museums, bed and breakfast hotels or art galleries. One attractive example is to be found in the little village of Midwolda.
Inside there are pictures as far as the eye can see. Maya Wildevurr uses the lofty chambers of the Ennemaborg to store hundreds of paintings. 'What I would really like to do is turn the house into a museum,' she said. The works here have been gleaned from all over the world, amassed on her many forays.
When the lady of the castle throws open her gallery doors at the weekend, art lovers from many parts of Holland make the trip here to admire her colourful creations. 'Spring and summer are the most beautiful times of the year, when the meadows are lush and gleaming,' said Maya Wildevuur. When the days turn warm, she does not have to venture far in order to find her favourite subjects - dazzling red poppies and the deep blue cornflowers which thrive around Groningen.
Maya Wildevuur's home Ennemaborg was erected in the 14th century and is one of the 16 fortified mansions which stand out in this remote stretch of north-eastern Holland. With their massive walls and moats these were the family seats of the local aristocracy. 'In some cases the buildings also served as the summer residences of well-to-do merchants from Groningen,' said Ida M. Stamhuis, the director of another notable castle, the red-brick 14th century Menkemaborg in Uithuizen which was last extensively renovated around 1700.
Menkemaborg has been a museum since 1927 and it attracts tens of thousands of visitors annually. The separate chambers for ladies and gentlemen, the generous, richly-embellished living quarters and the master bedrooms are all decorated with exquisite furniture.
They convey a vivid impression of how the local noblemen and women hereabouts lived, 'so much so that visitors might be forgiven for thinking the owners had just popped out and would be back within a few hours,' said art historian Stamhuis.
The mansion is surrounded by well-tended parkland with ornamental shrubs and a wealth of knotted ash trees, a species planted deliberately to offer protection from harsh North Sea winds. Around 200 years ago the grounds were laid out in symmetrical French style, a unique feature in the big-sky country around Groningen.
'Welcome to the year 1742' is the motto of the fortified town of Bourtange, which lies to the east of Groningen, about half an hour away by car. Back then the star-shaped fort close to the German border was a major complex and as many as 3,000 soldiers were garrisoned here in order to protect the marshy land around Groningen from invading hordes.
Until restoration in the 1960s the citadel with its water-filled moats, tall earth ramparts, cannons and barracks was allowed to fall into complete disrepair. Today a total of 63 residents live in the houses clustered within these medieval walls.
It is possible to spend the night in one of 12 restored army residences and every year in April there is the added attraction of a colourful battle re-enactment in and around the fort. Less militant are the marriage ceremonies conducted in Bourtange and the torchlight banquets held around these parts to celebrate the nuptials.
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