Oud Poelgeest

Oud Poelgeest is a Dutch castle in South Holland Oegstgeest place and has been the seat of the physician and botanist Herman Boerhaave ( 1668-1738 ).

Castle

The castle was built in 1668 built on the foundations of an earlier investment in the Dutch classicist style. Builder was probably the Haarlem architect Erasmus den Otter. The former castle, whose stones are still to be found in the area, was destroyed in 1574 by the Spaniards.

The onion domes were grown in 1866 by the later owner Gerrit Willink, who also built in 1867 the coach house and the chapel.

Today Oud Poelgeest is a hotel with conference and meeting rooms.

Castle Park

Boerhaave bought the castle in 1724 and designed the garden for its large botanical collection, which no longer fit into the Hortus Botanicus Leiden. His garden was famous even to Boerhaave 's lifetime and competed with the Hortus Hartecampensis, where his friend Carl Linnaeus worked. Boerhaave lived until 1733 in Oud Poelgeest.

Particularly worth seeing the many exotic and rare plants and trees are in the garden. A tulip tree was planted by Boerhaave there until the 1990s.

The park with the associated buildings are Rijksmonument as a historical monument.

Oud Poelgeest back with moat

The castle in the front view

Bridge in the castle park

Dragon hall

Stucco ceiling in the Dragon Hall

Staircase to first floor

Ground floor