Rijtuig museum Groningen

The Nationaal Rijtuigmuseum stands on the Nienoord estate in Leek, Groningen. The museum occupies part of the historic Borg- & Rijtuigmuseum Nienoord and opened in 1958. Its founders included D.D. ter Maten, H. Braber of the Groningen VVV, and royal master of horse Freek Bischoff van Heemskerck. B.J. Bruins Bzn. became its first steward, and Geert Pruiksma has led the museum since 2015. The estate itself dates back centuries and provides a fitting setting for the collection. The museum holds the world’s largest collection of carriages, with more than 300 vehicles. It aims to preserve at least one example of every carriage type, calling itself a kind of Noah’s Ark. The collection includes sleighs, harnesses, saddles, tools, paintings, prints and clothing on loan. Since 2007 the museum has also cared for the carriages from Kasteel de Haar. It collaborates closely with similar museums in Lisbon and Vienna and welcomes between 15 000 and 25 000 visitors each year. Inside the borg visitors find rooms devoted to carriage history and the estate’s own past. Regular art exhibitions take place throughout the building. The grounds around Nienoord offer peaceful walks among historic buildings and landscaped gardens.