Stavoren Waterrijck Stavoren is within walking distance of the IJsselmeer and the historic, characteristic eleven-city town of Stavoren. Stavoren is the oldest city of the eleven Frisian cities and is already mentioned in the third century BC. It was primarily a prominent city of Frisian kings and seafarers; trade and shipping flourished here. Trading with England, France and Scandinavia made Stavoren very prosperous. Many Viking and Dutch counts tried to get a piece of it. After the 18th century, Stavoren deteriorated and almost everything that had been reached for centuries was lost. The greatest setback is expressed in the legend of the Lady of Stavoren. The female is still peering over the old harbor. Stavoren used to be an important Hanseatic city, nowadays water sports are rampant here. During the season it is a busy and pleasant entrance gate on the extreme southwest tip of Friesland. In winter, Stavoren is quiet, enjoying a watery winter sun, the brown fleet and fishing boats floating in the harbor. What is always moving is the ir. JL Hoogland pumping station, one of the largest in Europe. Just south of Stavoren, it ensures the drainage of the Frisian bosom water in the IJsselmeer.