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Beautiful tours

Dokkum and Leeuwarden

In the canal- and rampart-surrounded center of Dokkum, beautiful historic buildings line the streets. Its rich history and proximity to the Wadden Sea and Lauwersmeer make it a perfect base for cycling tours. The same goes for Leeuwarden. From there, you can cycle to Harlingen, Franeker, and the De Alde Feanen National Park. » read more about Dokkum and Leeuwarden

Hotel de Posthoorn (Dokkum), Hotel-Paleis Stadhouderlijk Hof (Leeuwarden)
Dokkum, Leeuwarden, Ameland, Harlingen, Franeker
Cycling through the varied landscapes of Friesland

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Frisian Murder Tours

Missionary Boniface was murdered near Dokkum in 754. During this twin-base holiday, you’ll of course visit the healing spring and his statue. Above his head: a Bible, which sadly couldn't stop the murder. You’ll also cycle to Lauwersmeer National Park. The next day, take the ferry to Ameland with its beautiful Oerduinen nature reserve and the charming villages of Hollum and Ballum.

Famous Spy, Famous Bridge

In Leeuwarden, you'll visit the birthplace of the Netherlands' most famous spy. The next day, a short train ride to Harlingen, one of Friesland’s most beautiful towns. Then on your bike to Franeker with its renowned Eise Eisinga planetarium. You’ll also visit Grou and De Alde Feanen National Park, a stunning area of reed beds and marshes. “Hey, was that an otter?” Finally, you follow the Eleven Cities Route along the Dokkumer Ee back to Dokkum. And at the iconic Bartlehiem bridge, one thought crosses your mind: beautiful tours, you’d almost kill for them.

TIP: You can also choose a 5-day stay in Dokkum or Leeuwarden.

Dokkum

Famous Spy

You don’t have to be a spy to discover that Leeuwarden is happy to reveal its secrets. At Kelders 33 stands the birthplace of Margaretha Geertruida (Griet) Zelle, better known as the spy Mata Hari. She was born there in 1876 and later became known as a lady-in-waiting and exotic dancer. During World War I, she was recruited as a spy. That role didn’t last long. In 1917, the French accused her of being a double agent — a charge that cost her her life. Whether she truly was a double spy remains a mystery. This ongoing debate has only added to her legendary status. You can visit her birthplace, and the Fries Museum (Wilhelminaplein 92) is also eager to share the secrets behind this legend.

Distinguished Commanders’ Houses

In Hollum on Ameland, sturdy trees lend the main street a distinguished air. This character is further enhanced by the stately commanders’ houses. The commanders were the captains of the whaling ships — an industry that once sustained much of Ameland. Some of these houses — most now protected as heritage monuments — still have blackened façades, stained from burning driftwood. Others have been beautifully restored. A typical feature is the double row of protruding brick ledges on the front façade. Iron anchors often display the year of construction, usually between 1650 and 1800.

Oldest Planetarium

Over four hundred years ago, the Italian Galileo Galilei made the first astronomical discoveries using a telescope — a device invented shortly before in the Netherlands. In 1608, a patent was filed by Johannes (Hans) Lipperhey of Middelburg (Zeeland) for a “certain instrument to see far.” Much later, in May 1774, panic erupted when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and the Moon appeared close together in the sky. People feared the end was near. To disprove this, 30-year-old Eise Eisinga — well-versed in astronomy — built a working model of the solar system in his living room in Franeker. That model still functions today, making it the oldest working planetarium in the world.

Eise Eisinga Planetarium - Eise Eisinga

Chirping and Croaking in De Alde Feanen

De Alde Feanen National Park spans nearly 4,000 hectares — about 8,000 football fields — making it the largest contiguous nature reserve on the mainland of Friesland. Once inside the park, you’ll find lakes, peat bogs, bluegrass meadows, reed beds, buttercup hayfields, swamp forests, and sphagnum reedlands. Feeling dizzy yet? And just think — over a hundred different bird species breed here. As you cycle through the area, you'll pass water and pastures, occasionally take a ferry, and above all, listen to the endless chirping and croaking all around you.

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Dokkum and Leeuwarden

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