Grootegast is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.

Population centres

Doezum, Enumatil, Faan, Grootegast, Kornhorn, Lutjegast, Niekerk, Oldekerk, Opende, Sebaldeburen.

The village of Grootegast

Grootegast is the main village of the municipality. The name of the village refers to a 'gast' or 'gaast', a higher, sandy ridge in an otherwise swampy area. Groot is Dutch for 'large'.

Grootegast is the birth place of the theologian Cornelius Van Til.

Lutjegast

Lutjegast is a village in the municipality of Grootegast. In the Groningen dialect of Low Saxon 'Lutje' means small or little.

Lutjegast was the birth place of the explorer Abel Tasman. Although the house of his birth no longer exists, he is memorialised with a monument, plaque and street name.

Until 1829 a mansion named Rikkerdaborg stood in Lutjegast.

External link

• Official Website (http://www.grootegast.nl)