11fountains hiking route: Sloten

The route starts at the long, narrow fountain of Sloten. A dark plastic mound with a man who has a girl on his shoulder. She holds a lapwing tightly, an endangered bird species. The containers symbolize water, which is abundant in some parts of the world and very scarce in others. From this special fountain, we walk eastward and hike up to the old bulwark. On the bridge, you have a view of Sloten, with its beautiful facades and old cobblestone streets.

On the other side of the bridge, you see a cannon on the right, which used to be used to defend this then very important city. Because of its location, Sloten was strategically very important for Friesland and required means of defense, such as cannons. Today, the cannon points toward a magnificent landscape, where you see almost no human-caused pollution. It is green, green, and green again.

To your left, you now see one of the three churches of Sloten. We walk behind the church and see the well-known clotheslines of Sloten at the edge of the village. These are remnants from the time when people left their linens outside to bleach. Sloten was built so compactly that there was only enough space, sun, and wind at the edge of the village to let things dry. This looks very beautiful and costs no electricity!

Follow this path until you can turn left. On the left and right sides, there are beautiful little houses … but the highlight is yet to come.

Switch to the other side and turn right here. These facades are true gems. Because the city was so important in the past, a lot of time and money was invested in the houses to make them just as significant. You can see this in the centuries-old stepped and bell gables. Behind one of these beautiful gables are the VVV (tourist information office) and the Sloten Museum. This is the former town hall of Sloten. Here, you get a surprising insight into the city's history. On the museum floor, you will find “Laterna Magica”: the most beautiful collection of magic lanterns in the Netherlands.

Follow the path along the water and cross the first bridge you encounter. This bridge is not suitable for strollers or people who are not good on foot. This is actually a bit true for all bridges in Sloten. You need to be able to climb stairs to master them.

On the other side of the water, follow the route leading you out to the south side of the bulwark. Here is the “Lemsterpoort” gate. Behind it stands a beautiful grain mill. At the foot of the “Lemsterpoort” gate is a pillory. This reminds that Sloten was once allowed to administer justice and carry out sentences.

The grain mill “de Kaai” hides a small meadow with a large cannon located at the back of the mill. It is something very special that Sloten still has a town crier named Pieter Haringsma. In the high season, Pieter calls the city together every Friday evening for the traditional cannon firing on the grounds of the grain mill “de Kaai”. This cannon spectacle is carried out in full traditional costume by the city marksmen.

If you continue following the path, you will naturally return to the fountain. Now the route is over. On to the next city!

Here you will find all the gastronomic establishments of Sloten.