Stavoren

Lakeside Stavoren is walking distance from the Ijsselmeer and the historic, rustic ‘eleven-town-skating-marathon’ town of Stavoren itself. One of the oldest of the eleven towns of Friesland, Stavoren was mentioned as far back as the third century B.C. Primarily an aristocratic town of Friesian kings and sea merchants, trade and merchant shipping boomed here. Trading with England, France and Scandinavia made Stavoren extremely prosperous. Viking and Dutch nobility came here to seek their fortune.

After the 18th Century, Stavoren went into decline and paled to a shadow of its former glory. The greatest defeat is immortalized in the Legend of the Lady of Stavoren, who still gazes out over the old harbour.

Although Stavoren was a former rich Hanseatic town, its current claim to fame is its water sport. In the high season it acts as a charming and bustling port on the extreme south-western corner of Friesland. In winter, Stavoren paints a rustic picture bathed in watery sunshine, with the brown fleet and fishing boats bobbing in the harbour. By contrast, the J.L. Hooglandgemaal remains in perpetual motion, managing the flow of water drainage from Friesland to the IJsselmeer.

Vicinity of Stavoren

The vicinity offers a variety of towns and areas forsightseeing.Thewoods and cliffs ofGaasterland are just a bike-ride away, as are three of the other authentic eleven towns: Hindloopen, Workum and Sloten.  You can visit the first Fries Skating Museum in Hindeloopen and check out the pottery in Workum (Workems aardewerk) and the Jopie Huismanmuseum. The historic character of Sloten will charm you.

Apart from the pleasure boats, a ferry service operates between Stavoren and Enkhuizen in summer. If you are not prone to seasickness, this is a great way to sail the IJsselmeer! Once on dry land in Enkhuizen, the Zuiderzee museum is well worth a visit. Both Sneek and the Friesian capital, Leeuwarden, can be reached by train. You can visit various museums or shop till you drop in the lovely town centres. And how about a canoe trip through the Gaasterland woods? Apart from that, you can amuse yourself endlessly on the Friesian lakes. If the weather doesn’t lend itself to outdoor activities, then there’s always the indoor swimming pool at the Stavoren Marina.

For the real nature lover, Stavoren and its surroundings offer a wealth of options. The varied countryside is home to several unique scenic areas/nature reserves?, with its diversity of grasslands, reedlands and marshes. And for the twitchers among you, the bird-watching huts dotted around the IJsselmeer allow you to watch the many species to your heart’s content. Last but by no means least, the children will not be bored in Stavoren. Sybrandy’s Recreation Park, in the middle of the Rijs Wood, has a great playground with lots of exciting attractions and a trip to Fairy Tale Wonderland (Sprookjeswonderland) is a must. In the Kameleon Dorp in Terhorne, both young and old can enjoy the world of Hylke and Sietse?.

For other activities and sight-seeing, we suggest you check out the website of the local tourist office in Stavoren:
www.friesekust.nl