Camminghahuis, Franeker, Medieval fortified house in Franeker, Netherlands
The Camminghahuis is a medieval fortified house with two connected wings and slate roofs located at Voorstraat 2 in the town center. The thick walls and distinctive windows reflect its construction as a defensive structure, while today it houses a bakery and chocolate shop on its ground floor.
The structure was built between 1450 and 1550, incorporating remnants of an earlier noble defensive residence from the Sjaerda family. It represents the transition from a fortified family seat to an urban mixed-use building during the late medieval period.
The building served as an inn and later housed an important coin and medal collection that attracted visitors for two decades. You can still sense its past as both a noble residence and a busy commercial space through its solid, purposeful design.
The building sits in the heart of Franeker's historic center and is accessible during regular business hours of the ground floor shops. Its location on Voorstraat makes it easy to find while wandering through the old town.
The eastern wall displays five preserved shooting slots that reveal how residents once defended the building against threats. A notably high-placed door on this same side served as an additional security feature of the original fortified design.
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