Groninger Schaatsmuseum
Did you know there’s a skating museum in Sappemeer? The owner, Alex Kampinga, has hundreds of pairs and knows absolutely everything about skating through the ages.
Have a look now
Location
“Scheuveln! Scheuveln! Everyone onto the ice! One’s young and the other’s old”
“Alex is a great explainer and really knows his stuff. I thought the oldest skates, dating from around the 1700s and 1800s, were the most beautiful – it’s amazing they could make something like that back then!” – said an enthusiastic visitor.
The Groninger Schaatsmuseum illustrates how skating has changed over the centuries. It does so through various models from numerous skate manufacturers, posters, figurines and much more related to the sport of skating.
Nowadays, skaters use blades. That used to be…
“Scheuveln! Scheuveln! Everyone onto the ice! One’s young and the other’s old”
“Alex is a great explainer and really knows his stuff. I thought the oldest skates, dating from around the 1700s and 1800s, were the most beautiful – it’s amazing they could make something like that back then!” – said an enthusiastic visitor.
The Groninger Schaatsmuseum illustrates how skating has changed over the centuries. It does so through various models from numerous skate manufacturers, posters, figurines and much more related to the sport of skating.
Nowadays, skaters use ice skates. Things were quite different in the past. For centuries, people moved across frozen water using a sledge or a ‘glis’ (a smooth leg from a cow or horse). Holes were cut into these to attach them beneath the shoe using a tendon or strap. By pushing off with a pole (the cross-country skiing principle), people would set themselves in motion. In the early 15th century, blacksmiths began making skates made entirely of iron. Later still, the sliding blade was mounted in a wooden sole. The modern skate is still somewhat recognisable in this design.
The Groninger Schaatsmuseum is open by appointment and, as a rule, on Sundays from 12.00 to 17.00 (free admission).
Near the Groninger Schaatsmuseum, the inspiring walking route 'In the footsteps of Aletta Jacobs' starts.