Leens: Regional History, Gardens and Wildlife

Leens offers several distinct reasons to visit: regional history, garden art, wildlife and walking. If you’re looking for a hotel in Leens, your travel interests can be a practical starting point. Consider whether you’d like to focus on the region’s history, a garden, zoological topics or a walk. Each place has its own clearly distinct focus.

Borg Verhildersum: Estate, Sculpture Garden and Museum

The estate surrounding Borg Verhildersum in Leens covers 33 hectares. Verhildersum has the northernmost sculpture garden in the Netherlands. The size of the estate and the sculpture garden bring together two different aspects: the setting of the estate and a specific art theme. If you’re interested in art in the context of an estate, the sculpture garden offers a distinct point of interest.

At the Borg Verhildersum Museum, the history of Groningen on the Wadden coast is presented from the perspectives of the nobility, farmers and agricultural labourers. These three viewpoints provide a thread through the presentation of history, centred on social positions, and distinguish this approach from the sculpture garden’s artistic focus.

Garden Art at Oosterhouw

Landhuis en Parktuin Oosterhouw offers a different focus in Leens. The park garden covers 10,000 m² and brings together garden art from three centuries. The grounds also include an 11-metre-high viewing point. The area and time span describe different aspects of the garden; the viewing point adds another distinct feature. Compared with the Borg Verhildersum Museum, the focus here is on garden art rather than presenting regional history from different social perspectives.

The area figures for Verhildersum and Oosterhouw refer to different areas: 33 hectares describes the estate surrounding the Borg, while 10,000 m² describes the park garden. They are therefore not suitable for a direct comparison of the size of the two gardens.

DoeZoo: Insects and Wildlife

DoeZoo is a zoo in the Groningen village of Leens that focuses mainly on insects. It also features insectivorous plants and animal species that feed on insects. This focus links the world of insects with the plants and animals that feed on them.

The educational museum adds a different perspective to this focus: it displays skeletons and taxidermied animals and uses the exhibition to explain the anatomy of the animal kingdom. DoeZoo also offers an educational tour about its animals; wildlife golf is included in the admission price.

As of 28 August 2026, DoeZoo is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Check the opening hours before your visit.

Rondje Leens on Foot

A route description published in 2020 gives “Rondje Leens” an approximate length of 12 kilometres and describes the walking route from Leens via the Streekje 't Stort and the villages of Houwerzijl and Ulrum, returning to Leens. The circular route is important for orientation: Leens is both the starting and finishing point, while the named places mark the route in between. Check trail conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Zoutkamp, Ulrum, Warfhuizen, Pieterburen, Kloosterburen, Mensingeweer, Hornhuizen, Molenrij

For the broader travel overview: De Marne.