Nederland - Sloten

Sloten originated in the 13th century as a settlement near a small, stone-fortified house - called a stins, which is typical for Friesland. The house was owned by the family Van Harinxma thoe Slooten and stood at the crossing of the trading road from Bentheim to Stavoren. Sloten was first mentioned having city rights in a charter of 30 August 1426. In 1523 the little town was the last Frisian fortress to fall into the hands of the heirs of the Counts of Holland. . Sloten also held a key position in the Eighty Years' War. A Spanish plot to conquer the city by hiding men in a beer ship failed.

Sloten was located on an important waterway between the city of Sneek and the (former) Zuiderzee and also to the Hanseatic cities along the river IJssel. In Sloten this waterway crossed the road from Germany to Stavoren, a large and important trading city in the middle ages. At this crossing, one could charge users a toll and exercise strategic control.

Nowadays Sloten is no longer of strategic importance, but is popular with water sports enthusiasts and day-trippers. The city has retained almost all of the original ramparts and the entirety of the original structure. The fortress was designed and built by the well-known Dutch fortress builder, Menno van Coehoorn. Because of its onion shape Sloten is called Sipelstêd (onion town).

Sloten has less than 800 inhabitants and is the smallest of the eleven cities in Friesland. The Frisian name for Sloten is Sleat.