Kloosterburen: Cloostertuin, history and carnival

When planning a stay in Kloosterburen, you can choose from a variety of points of interest, including a garden, architectural history and recurring traditions. These range from the Cloostertuin and a historic farmhouse to a bell with a dated casting and the annual carnival. If you are looking for a hotel in Kloosterburen, exploring these aspects of the town can help you define the purpose of your trip more specifically. For a stay centred around the parade, the dates, which change each year, are especially important.

Cloostertuin: garden and meeting place

In the heart of Kloosterburen, the Cloostertuin lies on the former grounds of the Norbertine monastery of SintJan. The site includes an orchard and a vegetable garden, where vegetables, herbs, flowers and plants are grown. The Cloostertuin thus connects the site's former monastic history with its present-day use as a garden.

The Cloostertuin is maintained as a place for walking and for villagers and passers-by to meet. It therefore serves as a meeting place as well as a growing space. Produce from the garden and fruit from the orchard are sold locally, and the proceeds are reinvested in the garden. If sales are important to your visit, check in advance whether they are available at that time, as the sales arrangements may change.

Architectural and religious history

Boerderij Oldeklooster is a farmhouse of the Kop-Hals-Romp type. The term identifies a particular farmhouse style; the historical date refers to the residential section, which dates from the 16th century. The farmhouse therefore brings together two distinct aspects: its architectural form and the age of a specific part of the building.

Religious history is also part of the town's character: for centuries, Kloosterburen has been a Roman Catholic enclave in an otherwise predominantly Calvinist Groningen. This context adds the area's religious character to the history of the former monastery grounds.

A bell cast in 1501 hangs in Kerk Kloosterburen. It probably came from the tower of the Der Aa-Kerk in Groningen. The casting year is certain, while its origin is considered probable. Together with the residential section of Boerderij Oldeklooster, the bell offers another point of connection to local history, from a different period.

Carnival and travel planning

An annual carnival parade passes through the streets of Kleine Huisjes, Molenrij and Kloosterburen. During carnival, Kloosterburen is called Kronkeldörp for five days. The name and duration are part of a recurring local tradition, but they do not set a fixed calendar date for any particular year. The dates vary each year, and route details may also change. So if you would like to plan your trip around the parade, check the latest event dates and route before making your plans.

The garden, architectural history and carnival offer different reasons to explore Kloosterburen. The Cloostertuin combines cultivation with walking and socialising, while Boerderij Oldeklooster and the bell provide tangible historical points of interest. Carnival, in turn, gives your stay a timeframe that changes each year. When looking for a hotel in Kloosterburen, you can first decide which of these aspects of the town will shape your travel plans most.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Hornhuizen, Westernieland, Zoutkamp, Wehe-Den Hoorn, Warfhuizen, Lauwersoog, Mensingeweer, Ulrum

For the broader travel overview: De Marne.