Stavoren
Encyclopedia
Stavoren is a small town on the coast of the IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer is a shallow artificial lake of 1100 km² in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland, with an average depth of 5 to 6 m. The IJsselmeer is the largest lake in Western Europe....

, about 5 km south of Hindeloopen
Hindeloopen
-External links:* Museum Hindeloopen: Hindelooper schilderkunst, klederdracht, stads- en scheepvaarthistorie.*...

. It lies within the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân. Stavoren was granted city rights
City rights in the Netherlands
City rights are a medieval phenomenon in the history of the Low Countries. A liegelord, usually a count, duke or similar member of high nobility, granted a settlement he owned certain town privileges that settlements without city rights did not have....

 in 1118, making it the oldest city in Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...

. It is also one of the stops on the Elfstedentocht
Elfstedentocht
The Elfstedentocht is the world's largest and longest speed skating competition and leisure skating tour, and is held irregularly in the province of Friesland, Netherlands.The tour, almost 200 km in length, is conducted on frozen canals, rivers and lakes between the eleven historic...

, (literally, 'eleven city ride'), an ice skating contest/event which occurs when the winter temperatures provide safe conditions.

A ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 for pedestrians and cyclists operates between Stavoren and Enkhuizen
Enkhuizen
Enkhuizen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia.Enkhuizen was one of the harbour-towns of the VOC, just like Hoorn and Amsterdam, from where overseas trade with the East Indies was conducted. It received city rights in 1355...

, with increased trips during summer months.

The town is the scene of the action of a Dutch Renaissance folk-tale
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...

, that of the mythical Lady of Stavoren
Lady of Stavoren
The Lady of Stavoren is a folk tale from the Netherlands which originated in the 16th century.The tale has inspired songs, plays, operas and films...

. The tale is a reminder of the maritime wealth once enjoyed by the town and its merchants.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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