Haventje van Laaksum
Haventje van Laaksum
The Haven van Laaksum is also called the smallest fishing port in Europe. The village has a few fishermen's houses, a farm and the harbor that is listed as a cultural-historical monument. Laaksum has a few dozen inhabitants.
History
Laaksum was called Laxnum in 1325 and Laexum in 1487. The village - or hamlet - is known for the fact that in 1345 an army of Count Willem IV landed here to teach the Frisians a lesson during the so-called Battle of Warns.
Around 1500 people fished for flounder from Laaksum on the women's sand, a former shallow area in the Zuiderzee. And from the 17th century on, eel as well. After the arrival of the Afsluitdijk, fishing in Laaksum was as good as done.
Sights
The village itself, because of its beautiful location on the dike and the IJsselmeer, is already an attraction. The same goes for the fishermen's houses and the small harbor, which was built in 1912 and restored to its former glory in 1998. Near the little harbor is still the Hang, the building where herring used to be salted and smoked. Some brine barrels have also been put back in which fish nets used to be preserved.
