Sloten, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Over the last several days a winter storm has raged outside. The winds whipped at the windows, causing small waves in the canal below our house. The rain felt like it would never stop and continually drizzled against the glass pane. The sturdy house battled against Mother Nature.

So we were pleasantly surprised to wake this morning and see a blue sky, blue like the deep end of a swimming pool. After a quick breakfast we donned our warm winter jackets and set off for Sloten. 

Sloten is a small Dutch village in North Holland, about two centuries older than Amsterdam. We couldn't find (in English) a lot of history about the village but one of the first references of the area date back to 1063. 

Windmill van Sloten

Windmill behind the Overtoom canal

The village is surprisingly close to our house, walking distance even! Engulfed by the expanding city, Sloten seems caught in a time warp; stuck between new residential apartments, farm land and canals. Approaching the little village the first thing we saw, towering over the landscape was a windmill! The Windmill van Sloten is a working mill, rebuilt in 1847 and was (still is) used to ensure that the water level in the low-lying surroundings remains below a specific level, by draining the area. This type of Dutch windmill is called a Stellingmolen, and while there were once tens of thousands across Holland, very few remain today.

North view, Windmill van Sloten

With its broad octagon shape and massive vanes (the propeller thing) that towered high above us it was really quite awesome! We decided that we will definitely come back during the opening hours for a tour! 

Crossing a large canal we hit the village's southwestern entrance: Sloterweg. In 1175, the village was bordered by a lake. But the lake was a constant threat and over centuries large bits of land was taken by the waterwolf (when a low lying lake enlarges and devours the land, usually in high spring tides or after heavy storms). 

Other villages in the area vanished in the waves but Sloten was relocated to its current position (onto a small raised area called Sloterweg) and the surrounding land was reclaimed from the lake. As we walked along Sloterweg, it was eerily quiet with only the odd cyclist whizzing past. 

The street was cobbled with small orange bricks and the houses along the main road were just beautiful. The free-standing houses are very small and their fronts are painted and decorated with gingerbread type facades. 

Sloteweg, main street

Upper Sloteweg 

House facades, Sloten

Decorated gingerbread houses! 

Old village square

We walked along peering down the side streets until we reached the deserted village square. In the square was the village water pump and to our right was the tiniest police station! Built in 1866 it was used as a cell where drunken villagers could 'sleep it off'. 

Today it is still used as a police administrative office making it the smallest police station in the Netherlands! 

Tiny police station

Village pump

We continued walking down the Main Street with our frozen hands hugging the insides of our pockets! Soon we had reached the end of the main road where the toll house stands. The toll house was used to collect a small tax to those entering the city. During the 14th to 16th century the road, called the pilgrims road, leading from the village was joined to the city of Amsterdam.

Residential housing 

Adorable cottages

Walking out of the village

Village catholic church

Interestingly, here we found a sign board indicating something called a banning pole. Since we had come to the edge of the village we had to go back and look for it! Hidden down a small alley between two houses we found the archaic banning pole! A banning pole was a type of boundary stake. In 1544 emperor Charles V granted Amsterdam the right to ban criminals, vagabonds or other undesirables to 'one German mile' (or 7.4km) outside the city gate. Banishment was a popular punishment for thieves and beggars, but also those who cursed or gambled.

Sloten banning pole

Close up of the banning pole

There were six banning posts along main approaches to the city and were used to indicate the banishment area. What is quite strange in Sloten is that the banning pole sits snuggled in the middle of the village, as if you were banned from Amsterdam but sure, you could live in Sloten. Built in 1794 the pole reads, in Latin, Terminus Proscriptions and means 'limit post of the banished'. Today Sloten is part of Amsterdam's wider city limits, falling under the city's municipality since 1921. 

Ordering a snack from the fish trailer 

And even though nobody has been banished since 1800, it seems that Sloten may have purposely been at one time home to many of Amsterdam's unwanted. Today there are still three other posts standing around Amsterdam marking the old banishing area which give a strange glimpse of Holland's history!

Fresh raw herring! 

After our short stroll through the village we sought to get rid off our growing hunger at a small roadside fish trailer. 

These trailers seem to be everywhere and satisfy the Dutch need for raw herring. 

Raw herring, a very fatty fish, is eaten with onions and pickles on a paper plate and is crazy popular. According to master fish taster John it's a 'buttery deliciousness'. Eaten for over 600 years in holland it's a staple part of Dutch cuisine! 

So standing roadside we gobbled down our fish, watched the windmill moving in the breeze and licked our lips.

Tot siens,

John and Kara