Sloten is the smallest city of Friesland, situated in the tourist area of the Frisian Lakes. From the 16th century on, Sloten was a genuine fortress. Menno van Coehoorn modernized the city walls in 1672 and the city also had five bastions, two land gates and two water gates.
Sloten was created on a crossing of important water and land roads. Its location made it blossom in the 17th and 18th century, when all passing ships had to pay toll. Many of the attractive houses alongside the canal have been built in this period of wealth. Between the houses, the old City Hall (1759) and the Dutch Reformation Church (1647) are main attractions. The only defensive works that withstood the ages are the two water gates: the Lemsterpoort (Lemmer's Gate, another Frisian town, 1821) in the south and the Snekerpoort (Sneek's Gate, another Frisian city, 1768) in the north, which is also called Woudsenderpoort.
Tourist information is available at http://www.friesland-vvv.net.