Onstwedde is a village about 30 kilometres south-east of Groningen, with a history stretching back more than 1,100 years. In early documents it appears as Uneswido — a name that already hints at how old this quiet corner of Groningen really is.
The centrepiece of the village is the Juffertoren, a medieval tower attached to the old church. The tower dates from around the 14th century and was built by one of three sisters who, after a life of luxury and pleasure, decided to do something for her salvation. The church itself is about 500 years old and dedicated to St. Nicholas. Inside it holds a very special baptismal font of Bentheimer sandstone. After the Reformation the font was removed — it was seen as too Catholic — and for a time it served as a cattle trough. In 1989 it was finally returned to the church where it belongs.