Holiday parks in Friesland

Once in your life, you must have ridden or sailed the ''Elfsteden'' route. You will find nowhere such a varied route as the Elfstedentocht, a worldwide renowned Frisian heritage. The Elfstedentocht on skates is the first and thus the oldest tour along all eleven cities of Fryslân.

Apart from the traditional Elfstedentocht on skates, nowadays several tours are organised along all the Frisian ''Elfsteden''. The Cycle Elfstedentocht on Whit Monday is the biggest example. For more than 100 years, around 15,000 participants have been cycling the Cycle ''Elfsteden'' Cities Tour on Whit Monday. The route of this 235-kilometre ride starts and finishes in Bolsward. To complete the tour, participants must get all the stamps at the various stations and reach the last finish control in Bolsward no later than 24:00. Besides the Cycle Elfstedentocht, there are also editions on scooter, tractor, canoe and old-timer.

See your favourite animals at Aqua Zoo Leeuwarden.

The area around Hindeloopen is great for cycling. For example, you can cycle via the Gronspaed from Nijhuizum to Gaastmeer. The ferry 'Droech oer de feart' can then take you across the water of the Grons. The Grons is the connecting water between the Oudegaaster Brekken, the Workum vliet, the Zandmeer, Grote Gaastmeer and the Heegermeer. This ferry can be found if you follow the cycle path from Gaastmeer to Workum or vice versa.

Our historic capital is the city of a hundred names. Leeuwarden, Liwwadden, Ljouwert, Lintwarde: it is the ideal starting point for an unforgettable journey through Friesland. With a centre that is now still the best-kept secret in the Netherlands and a tower (the Oldehove) that is more crooked than the structure in Pisa.

Workum has plenty to offer for everyone: from Jopie Huisman to cosy pavement cafés. The town lies roughly between Hindeloopen and Bolsward. You can enjoy the beautiful paintings of the old iron and lamp merchant Jopie Huisman but there is also a museum where you can learn about Workum's rich history.

A walk through the old centre is an attraction in itself. But the nature around the town is also worthwhile. You can make beautiful nature walks and cycling trips along the Frisian IJsselmeer coast or through the small villages and hamlets in the area.

Looking for a huge beach, a cosy promenade and a lively historic village centre? Then Makkum is 'the place to be'. Especially more and more (kite)surfers know to find their way to Makkum.

For a very short while in the 15th century, Sneek was the capital of Friesland. Logical, if you are the Central Station for all Frisian water traffic. Sneek is still that hub, and the annual Sneekweek reminds us of that in abundance. Thanks to the shops, pavement cafes and parks of historic Sneek, it's great to linger the rest of the year too. Discover for yourself how much fun Snits is!