Ruïne Toutenburg, Medieval castle ruins in Vollenhove, Netherlands
Ruïne Toutenburg is a ruined castle in Vollenhove, in the municipality of Steenwijkerland in the Netherlands. What remains today are two round brick gatehouse towers, parts of gun vaults, and fragments of a passage that once crossed the rectangular moat.
Georg Schenk, a nobleman serving under Charles V, had this fortress built between 1524 and 1552. In the late 1700s, the Sloet family acquired the property and used stone from its walls to expand the nearby Ruitenborgh Castle.
The name traces back to the Schenk family, whose influence shaped the region for generations. The surviving structures reflect how this place once served the daily life of those who lived here.
The ruins are freely accessible from outside along Laan van Toutenburgh 1 and are easy to reach on foot from the center of Vollenhove. On certain occasions such as Open Monumentendag, access to the interior may be possible, so checking local event listings ahead of your visit is worth doing.
A scale model of the original castle is on display at the nearby Cultuur Historisch Centrum in Vollenhove, alongside pottery and architectural fragments found during excavations on the site. The model gives a clear idea of how the full fortress looked before most of it was dismantled.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
