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About the city walk
Welcome to the smallest of the eleven cities: Sloten Although small, it is by no means less beautiful. Here you will find the loveliest façades of Friesland, and all this in a car-free environment. Trees that line the canal, flowers on the footbridges, and centuries-old cobblestones add colour to the streets and alleys of this natural gem. This short walk takes you through and around Sloten, so you can see its beauty from all sides.
Easy navigation?
View the route in Google Maps
About the fountain
‘Peewit’ shows a girl standing on the shoulders…
About the city walk
Welcome to the smallest of the eleven cities: Sloten Although small, it is by no means less beautiful. Here you will find the loveliest façades of Friesland, and all this in a car-free environment. Trees that line the canal, flowers on the footbridges, and centuries-old cobblestones add colour to the streets and alleys of this natural gem. This short walk takes you through and around Sloten, so you can see its beauty from all sides.
Easy navigation?
View the route in Google Maps
About the fountain
‘Peewit’ shows a girl standing on the shoulders of a man. She is holding a bird in her hand. Under the man’s feet, a haphazard stack of buckets, jerrycans and wash tubs forms the base of the fountain. These universal containers through which water flows in and out quietly, refer to something that we in our society possess in abundance but that cannot be taken for granted in other parts of the world: water – the source of all life. The bird the girl cherishes is a peewit, an endangered species in Friesland.
The ‘Peewit’ shows a girl standing on the shoulders of a man. She holds a bird in her hand. Under the man’s feet a disheveled pile of buckets, jerry cans and barrels form the base of the fountain.
The ‘Peewit’ shows a girl standing on the shoulders of a man. She holds a bird in her hand. Under the man’s feet a disheveled pile of buckets, jerry cans and barrels form the base of the fountain.
Sloten likes to pay homage to its 'bleaches'. This 'Bleekweide' was a grassy commons area on which freshly washed linen was left to dry and bleach in the sun. Sloten likes to remember this bleaching system along its city moat.
Tourist Information Sloten is located in Museum Sloten. Step inside for tourist information, a city walk through Sloten, or cycling routes. You can also find souvenirs and postcards here.
In the middle of Sloten – a truly enchanting museum: experience the rich history of the city and the magical world of magic lanterns.
The late-Gothic Protestant church in Sloten was built in 1647 on the site where the St John's Chapel once stood.
If you sail into Sloten from Lemmer, the wonderful scene that greets you is the windmill together with the Lemster Gate, a vista often captured in photographs. There’s a pillory at the foot of the Lemster Gate.
Sloten really is a fortified city and still has an active town crier, named Pieter Haringsma. During the peak season, Pieter calls the city together each Friday evening for the traditional firing of the cannons on the grounds of the Kaai corn mill.
Near the Lemster Gate you will also find De Kaai corn mill. The windmill stands on a bastion of the city walls, where it still grinds wheat into flour in the traditional and authentic manner. On Saturdays, the mill is open for viewing and flour sales.
The ‘Peewit’ shows a girl standing on the shoulders of a man. She holds a bird in her hand. Under the man’s feet a disheveled pile of buckets, jerry cans and barrels form the base of the fountain.
The ‘Peewit’ shows a girl standing on the shoulders of a man. She holds a bird in her hand. Under the man’s feet a disheveled pile of buckets, jerry cans and barrels form the base of the fountain.
The tour starts at the tall, slim fountain of Sloten. A pile of dark, plastic containers, with atop of it a man with a girl on his shoulders. She is holding a peewit, an endangered bird. The containers symbolise water, abundant in some parts of the world, but extremely scarce elsewhere. From this unique fountain, we head eastwards, where we walk on the bulwark for a bit. On the bridge you get a glimpse of Sloten, with its beautiful façades and old cobbled streets.
On the other side of the bridge, on the right, you will see a cannon, used in the defence of this once very important city. Due to its location, Sloten was strategically of great importance to Friesland and needed considerable defence. Now the cannon points to the lovely rolling landscape, with practically no signs of pollution by humans. It’s green wherever you look.
On your left you will see one of the three churches of Sloten. We walk behind it and there, along the outskirts of the village, are the famous clotheslines of Sloten. In the past, on this green, people left their linen outside to get bleached by the sun. Sloten is built very compactly, and only at the edge of the town there is enough space, sun and wind to let the laundry dry. It looks nice and it saves on energy!
Follow this path until you can turn left into Dubbelstraat. On your left and right you will see lovely houses, but the highlight is yet to come.
Cross the canal and turn right. The façades in this street are real gems. Because the city used to be so important, a lot of time and money was put into the houses, to make them stand out. You can see this in the centuries-old stepped gables and clock gables. Behind one of these beautiful façades, you will find the VVV tourist office and Museum Sloten, housed in the former town hall of Sloten. The museum offers a surprising view on the city’s history and in its attic you will find Laterna Magica: the most beautiful collection of magic lanterns in the Netherlands.
Continue your way along the water and cross the first bridge you pass. This bridge is not suitable for buggies or people who have difficulty walking, although that somewhat applies to all bridges in Sloten. You should be able to climb stairs for this bridge.
When on the other side of the water, continue the route to the south side of the stronghold. Here you will find the marina Lemsterpoort, with behind it the beautiful flourmill. At the foot of the Lemsterpoort is a pillory, which reminds of the time when Sloten could pass and execute sentences.
Behind flourmill De Kaai there is a small field with a large cannon. Sloten still has an active town crier, named Pieter Haringsma. In the high season, Pieter calls the city together every Friday evening for the traditional firing of the canon on the grounds of flourmill De Kaai. The cannon is fired by the “shooter’s guild” of Sloten, who wear traditional attire.
If you keep following the road, you will arrive at the fountain again. The end of the route! On to the next city. All restaurants and cafés of Sloten can be found here.
The ‘Peewit’ shows a girl standing on the shoulders of a man. She holds a bird in her hand. Under the man’s feet a disheveled pile of buckets, jerry cans and barrels form the base of the fountain.
