In the paintings of Hendrick and Barent Avercamp you can see rich and poor mixed together on the ice. You can even tell the difference by their sledges!

A simple sledge is the jawbone sledge. It is made from the lower jaw of a horse or cow, with a small board on top. You push yourself across the ice with two poles. Archaeologists have even found a real jawbone sledge near Kampen.

Rich people ride in magnificent horse-drawn sleighs, pulled by horses adorned with bells and plumes. They sit snug and warm under thick blankets. From jawbone sledge to horse-drawn sleigh: everyone passes by on Avercamp's ice.

Why this spot?
Right in front of you is the Burgel. In severe winters the water here could freeze over, and the ice was used for sliding and playing. The famous painters Hendrick and Barent Avercamp lived nearby and regularly painted people on the ice.

In the canal, archaeologists found a centuries-old jawbone sledge: a sledge made from an animal's jaw. Thanks to this find, we know that this kind of ice fun really did take place in Kampen.

Tip: Ready for a short break or a chance to warm up? Pop into restaurant MaGreet for a drink or something tasty.

Spot: in front of the window of restaurant MaGreet, Burgwal 45

Little Kampen