Grand Café Borg Nienoord

Located on Estate Nienoord is Grand Café Borg Nienoord. A stylish, noble, and monumental Groninger borg, perhaps the most beautiful borg in the province of Groningen.

This Groninger borg has a rich and very remarkable history. In 1524, Wigbolt van Ewsum, a member of a noble Groninger family, built a stone house at the edge of an extensive area of peatland near Midwolde. He had bought large pieces of peatland, hoping that the trade in turf would bring him great wealth. He built his 'Nije Oord' here, the country house we know today as 'Borg Nienoord'. Due to the pioneering spirit of Wigbolt van Ewsum, who used the borg as a base for his large-scale peat reclamations, Estate Nienoord and the village of Leek were created.

At the end of the 17th century, Borg Nienoord was one of the richest borgen in Groningen. Under borgvrouwe Anna van Ewsum and her (second) husband Georg Wilhelm von Inn- und Kniphausen, Nienoord became a stronghold of noble power and wealth. They arranged Nienoord as a modern baroque family palace. The borg had beautifully laid out classical gardens at that time, suitable for a retreat for pleasure and entertainment. However, there were also periods of decline, times of war, and personal dramas. In 1884, the borg became the property of Jonkheer Æmilius Abraham van Panhuys, who had the borg rebuilt in art nouveau and neoclassical style by the Groninger architect J. Maris.
In 1958, the National Carriage Museum took residence in the borg and outbuildings. Since 2013, the museum has taken a new direction under the name Museum Nienoord, borg and carriage museum.

The museum showcases a permanent carriage exhibition as well as the glorious history of the borg in the exhibition Hidden Stories. There is also a temporary exhibition to view each season.
Other attractions on the estate include: the 17th-century shell grotto, Family Park Nienoord, subtropical Swimming Castle Nienoord, and the Romanesque church in Midwolde. This church was built in the 12th century, and here you can admire the tomb of Carel Hieronymus von Inn- und Kniphausen and his wife Anna van Ewsum.

Weddings in the knight's hall of Borg Nienoord
The most beautiful wedding hall in the Groninger Westerkwartier can be found in the monumental Borg Nienoord. After the couple has arrived in the inner courtyard of the borg, perhaps by carriage, the monumental doors swing open to the beautiful knight's hall. The guests take their seats in the hall with 17th-century wood carvings, under the watchful eye of ancestors from the Golden Age. The gold leather wallpaper shines in the candlelight.