M83 - Borculo - Het hof te Borculo

The Hof te Borculo dates from the 11th or 12th century. There was once a large castle here, but it was demolished around 1760. The castle was in fact very dilapidated around that time. Only the cellars have been preserved from demolition. The castle had a strategic position on a sand ridge on the bank where the Berkel and the Leerinbeek converged. The Bishop of Munster is probably the one who ordered the building of the castle. A country house with the same name as the castle was built on top of the castle's foundations. In 1777 the manor of Borculo and the accompanying country house were bought by Prince Willen V of Orange-Nassau. A few decades later, in 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte had his imperial horse farm established in Borculo. There is now very little to be seen of the castle of Borculo. Only the foundations of it are still in the ground, but they cannot be seen through the house that is built on it. The house is not open to the public.