Beautiful Friesland in the Netherlands – Discover 5 Places in the Small Province

Friesland is one of the twelve Dutch provinces. Located in the northwest of the Netherlands, it lies directly on the Ijsselmeer and the North Sea coast. The small province is even the only province in the Netherlands to have its own official language in use: West Frisian.

In total, Friesland has eleven cities, perhaps already known to some as the “Eleven Cities Tour” (Elfstedentocht). Friesland is in fact famous for its natural ice long-distance skating race, which runs through the eleven historic Frisian towns and is the longest ice skating competition in the world!

We visited five towns in the small province last fall. Five beautiful places, each with its own charm. Come with us on a voyage of discovery!

Leeuwarden – the Capital of Friesland

Leeuwarden is often described as a real insider tip in the Netherlands, because it convinces with its canals, its colorful street art and its cozy shopping streets. 

In 2018, it was awarded the title of European Capital of Culture. Another highlight is definitely the leaning tower of Leeuwarden. That’s right, it’s not only in Pisa, but also in Leeuwarden. From a little further away, you can see on a viewpoint how crooked the tower was built. The tower was a failed construction project and is probably one of the landmarks of the city today.

By the way, in one of the numerous cafes and restaurants you can also get delicious cake as well as coffee. Traditionally, I tried the Frisian Oranjekoek, a rather fruity cake with a sweet sugar glaze.

Hindeloopen – The Small Coastal Town on the Shores of the Ijsselmeer

In Hindeloopen we also had our accommodation and went from there always loose on a discovery tour. The accommodation* was an absolute dream . Very stylish and furnished with attention to detail over two floors with 2 bedrooms each á 2 beds or a double bed and a beautiful open kitchen.

But the best part was the view: The accommodation was located directly on the water. There you could have breakfast in the morning or enjoy the sunset in the evening with a glass of red wine. Really absolutely gorgeous!

The small town itself has a lot of charm. It is located directly on the coast of the IJsselmeer, in many small streets you can still discover old traditions and on the extensive fields you can watch the IJsselmeer on one side and walk through sheep meadows and discover adjacent houses on the other side.

Hindeloopen is really a very cute and dreamy little town and for me a personal insider tip!

Stavoren – a Day in the Historic Coastal Town

Not far from Hindeloopen lies the historic coastal town of Stavoren. There we made a day hike from Hindeloopen. And I have to admit: In the evening my feet hurt quite a bit.

We mostly walked on the higher fields. The route is quite quiet, now and then you meet some people or sheep ;-). However, it took us about 3-4 hours to arrive in Stavoren and then had to hike back the way in the dusk.

It is also important to mention that there are no cabs from Stavoren to Hindeloopen (at least that’s what we were told!).

Stavoren is a very small but cute town that put you in an instant vacation mode. Again, located directly on the water, you can enjoy your cool beer here directly with a beautiful view on hot summer days!

A Day in Workum

After recovering from the long hike to Stavoren, we set off the next day for Workum. Another cute little town in the southwest of Friesland.

Here you can stroll leisurely through the old town and look at the unique facades and monuments. If you enjoy water sports, this is also the place to be, because Workum is considered a paradise for kitesurfers!

Makkum – the Small Fishing Village at the Ijseelmeer

Last but not least, I would like to introduce you to the small town of Makkum. Makkum is a fishing village on the IJseelmeer and, by the way, is not one of the eleven cities of Friesland. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth a trip and shines especially in summer through its beach promenade and the cozy terraces.  

My Conclusion About Friesland

Friesland is a really sweet, lively little province with a lot of charm and tradition. Here you can relax very well and recharge your batteries. Apart from the five towns that I have presented to you, Friesland also has a lot more to discover. For this reason alone, it will not be my last trip to Friesland. For the next time I have also definitely planned at least one or two days by bike to discover the IJseelmeer!