Piloersemaborg
Canals, waterways and historic stonework
In the days of the jonkers, the province of Groningen was full of borgen. Just a 15-minute drive from the city stands the only remaining borg farm in the Netherlands, the Piloersemaborg. The combination of farmhouse antiques, stately architecture and stuffed animal enclosures brings 19th-century history to life in a visible, tangible and smelly way.
Hidden amongst the trees
The manor farm near Den Ham, sometimes known as the Hamsterborg, is beautifully tucked away in the flat countryside. First, you have to look past rows of tall trees, and then you realise the building is also situated behind a wide moat. The current manor house was built in 1633. Naturally, a great deal has changed over the years, but the atmosphere of the life led by the young noblemen of that era can still be felt both inside and outside the building.
Crushed stone
There had been a borg here before, but it had suffered so much during the Eighty Years' War that, according to the deed of sale, there was little left but "canals, moats and broken stone". But even the present borg had hardly survived the ravages of time. Like most borgen, Piloersemaborg was in poor condition at the end of the last century. Fortunately, the borg farm was thoroughly refurbished again. Today, the Piloersemaborg goes through life as an atmospheric hotel. The guest rooms are located in the former barn and on the upper floor of the middle house.
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