Kleurige huisjes Zoutkamp
At the end of Reitdiepskade are beautifully coloured cottages. You almost imagine yourself in Scandinavia. The warehouses house a shellfish trade and shrimp auction, and unloading still takes place on the Reitdiepskade. Along the Reitsdiepskade runs the old outer dike. This runs all the way to the city.
Take a closer look
At one time, Zoutkamp was the 'gateway' to Groningen. For ships, the passage through the Lauwerszee was the only route from the sea to get to the city of Groningen.
Until 1960, Zoutkamp had a large fishing port, but when the Lauwerszee was closed off, the village lost this important position. The village still has the look and feel of an old-fashioned fishing village, thanks to its monumental locks and still-used old inner harbour. The name zoutkamp (Soltcampum) was first used in 1418. Chances are that salt used to be extracted in this area: sol (sel) meant salt and the word kamp was used for a fenced-in piece of land.