Landhuis Oranjestein

Oranjestein is the former steward's house of the Oranjewoud estate of the Frisian Nassaus. In 1820 the house was bought by the merchant Pieter Cats, who had the house completely renovated. Soon after, a landscape park was laid out at the house by the landscape gardener Lucas Pieters Roodbaard (1782-1851). Roodbaard introduced a new style of park construction in the Netherlands. He broke with the tradition of constructing rectilinear, mathematically constructed gardens. The gardens and parks of Redbeard are characterized by the use of winding paths and kidney-shaped ponds in a hilly terrain. Pieter Cats' son-in-law, Johannes Bieruma Oosting, his son Jan and grandson Johan expanded the park further. The house was also radically renovated several times. The current owner, the De Beaufort-Van Sminia family, lives on the estate during the summer months. In 2007 there was again a major renovation of the house.