Shell Grotto, Nienoord

The Shell Grotto Nienoord is a shell grotto built around the year 1700 at the behest of Anna van Ewsum, in a cupola in the southern gardens of the former borg on the Nienoord estate in Leek, in the northeastern Netherlands. The grotto was originally built as a treasury for the jonkheers of Nienoord. All that is known about the reason for covering the cupola's interior in shells, comes from a folk tale. A girl from the village of Leek was working at the castle. She was very curious about the castle's treasury. So one day, when the jonkheer and his wife were on a trip, she asked the jonkheer's daughter whether she could take a look at the treasury. Persuaded, the daughter opened the treasury to the girl. She found it lovely and danced through the room.