Laarwoud is a monumental
stronghold
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
in the centre of
Zuidlaren
Zuidlaren ( Noordenvelds: ''Zuudlaoren'') is a village in the province of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands. Zuidlaren has just over 10,000 inhabitants and is situated on natural heightened land which is called the Hondsrug.
The village is par ...
, the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. People also describe Laarwoud as a little castle, in the Netherlands locally known as ''havezate'' (
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
). The word havezate is used in the Dutch provinces of
Drenthe
Drenthe () is a provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen (province), Groningen to the north, and the G ...
and
Overijssel.
The building as seen on the picture dates from the beginning of the 17th century. However the founding of the building probably dates back from the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. In the 17th century the stronghold was owned by the ''Van Selbach'' family. From 1953 until 2004 the building served as a town hall for the former municipality of Zuidlaren. After a redivision of municipalities in the Netherlands, the stronghold once again became a dwelling house.
{{coord, 53.0959, 6.6899, type:landmark_region:NL, display=title
Castles in Drenthe
Tynaarlo