Fishing port

Stavoren is a small town on the southwest corner of Friesland, on the IJsselmeer, and its harbour is the centre of the place. It is often described as the oldest of the eleven Frisian cities, with city rights recorded in the eleventh century, and in the Middle Ages it was one of the most important trading towns on the Zuiderzee, the sea that later became the IJsselmeer. The harbour you see today is a smaller, quieter place than in those days, but it still has the feel of a working waterfront, with boats moored along the quay and the activity of a small port.

Fishing has long been part of life here, though the local fleet is much smaller now than in the past. The closing of the Zuiderzee in 1932 turned the salt water of the sea into a freshwater lake, and the fishing industry that had been based on herring and anchovy had to adapt to different species and a much smaller scale. Today the port is used mainly by leisure craft and traditional sailing ships, with a few fishing boats still among them, and Stavoren is a popular base for sailors on the IJsselmeer and the Frisian lakes. A seasonal ferry crosses to Enkhuizen on the other side of the lake, which gives a link with North Holland.

Walking along the quays is the best way to enjoy the harbour. There are cafes and terraces, pavement tables where you can sit and watch the boats, and restaurants serving fish. The port area has several landmarks. The statue of the Vrouwtje van Stavoren, the Lady of Stavoren, recalls the town's best known legend, in which a proud merchant widow lost her fortune and the harbour was said to be blocked by a sandbank. A lighthouse near the harbour entrance is another symbol of the town, and the J.L. Hooglandgemaal, a large pumping station nearby, shows how water management shapes this low-lying region.

Beyond the harbour, the IJsselmeer Beach is a short walk and the town offers houseboats and glamtainers for overnight stays. Cycling along the dike is popular, with wide views of the lake and the sky, and the surrounding countryside of southwest Friesland is a quiet landscape of meadows, lakes and small villages. Boat trips and sailing excursions leave from the harbour in summer.

The harbour suits sailors, cyclists, history lovers and anyone who enjoys watching boats. Allow an hour for a stroll and a drink, and visit in the evening if you can, when the sun sets across the lake.