LEARN MORE ABOUT

You drive here in the so-called Lageland (Groningen: Lagelaand). The name refers to its low altitude. In the past, this was the designation for a much larger area, unlike the Hogeland. Lageland's history goes way back, as evidenced by finds on Hamweg dating back to Roman times. Yet little is known about the history of this area. It used to consist of infertile, rough soil with no value. The digging of watercourses like the Slochter Ae, the Scharmer Ae and drainage with the help of mills changed this and made this low-lying area a more fertile one too. The drawbridge De IJzeren Klap is the replacement of an earlier swing bridge. In the 19th century, it also housed a toll house and a famous café De IJzeren Klap. Unfortunately, due to severe earthquake damage, the café had to be demolished. New housing is now being built on the site. This IJzeren Klap had previously stood on another site, across the now filled-in Rijpmakanaal canal in Harkstede.