Stavoren (Starum)

Stavoren is, together with Dokkum, one of the oldest cities in Friesland, established in the fifth century BCE. Stavoren became very prosperous because of the trading with England, France ande Scandinavia. But this began to decline in the late Middle Ages after a sandbank formed outside the harbor, blocking ships from entering and exiting. Several stories have been told over the years to explain the forming of the sandbank, including the tale of the Lady of Stavoren. Recreational boating has given the harbor new life. Nowadays the harbor is filled by clippers, which are part of the Bruine Vloot.

This whole harbor area is suitable for modern boating. From the IJsselmeer it’s hard to distinguish the moles of the Nieuwe Voorhaven, which are the access to the Lock of Johan Frio. If you plan to enter Stavoren, try to navigate to the hollow roofline building, the J.L. Hoogland-gemaal. The red light signs on the western dam will be visible after a while.