In the province of Friesland abounding in water, and bordering north west Overijssel watersports are part of every-day life. A paradise of lakes, canals and ditches stretches here before your eye. The main qualities of this region are space and tranquillity. The region has a long history and has the most picturesque villages in the country. In this region the best facilities especially for watersports are found, including lots of well-looked after moorings and excellent harbours.
This region indeed deserves its reputation as the eldorado of watersports.
The lakes of Friesland
Covering a vast area, Friesland has about 30 lakes of varying dimensions, all of them interlinked by canals and ditches.
Level water totals a surface area of 110 square kilometres, making the region unique in Western Europe. There are surprising wide vistas, accentuated by charming villages and stately Friesian farm houses, windmills and famous Friesian cattle everywhere. Add to this picture the waterfowl, making the landscape very Dutch indeed.
Watersports resorts like Grouw and Eernewoude are well-known attractions and excellent starting points to visit large nature reserve ‘Princehof, with pools, fenland and undisturbed vegetation and animal life. Friesland’s major city, Leeuwarden is a place where art and culture are prominently present together with everything for an enjoyable night on the town
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Eleven Town’s Tour
The world’s most famous ice-skating event is Friesland’s Eleven Towns ‘Tour, which includes all 11 of Friesland’s chartered towns: Leeuwarden, Sneek, IJlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum, Bolsward, Harlingen, Franeker and Dokkum. A similar round trip can be made by boat. This will take a boat by the way of Workum and Makkum, with their well-known ceramics and Franeker with its miraculous Planetarium. A short stretch of the route is accessible for low vessels only
Overijssel’s Northwest
In the north-west of the province of Overijssel are villages such as Giethoorn and Blokzijl, Vollenhove and Zwartsluis, all of which are well-known among watersporters. Giethoorn is often referred to as ‘The Venice of the North’ and is actually a working museum. Don’t miss it, this also goes for the romantic cruise through the Kalenberger canal, near Ossenzijl.
Fancy a place actually called ‘Muggebeet’, meaning in Dutch ‘Mosquito-bite’?
Then there is Blokzijl, with one of the most reputable top restaurants in the country. In this region is also the nature reserve ‘ De weerribben’ a true heaven of peace and quiet in today’s hectic world.
Lauwersmeer
Lauwersmeer is a former estuary of the Waddenzee, but since 1969 separated from this by a dyke. Its water is no longer tidal, making it far more suitable for active watersports. Many species of birds have found a permanent refuge in this area. Even in summer it is relatively quiet here. Lauwersmeer teems with fish and so it makes excellent fishing water
Mooring
Night accommodation is no problem for those on a motorboat or a yacht. Their craft will provide it. There are yacht harbours everywhere with jetties for visitors to stay overnight. But in a real watersports holiday mooring overnight in natural surroundings is the real thing. To make this easier hundreds of pointed free moorings have been provided across the entire north-eastern water region. Many of these have litter containers.
Skûtsjesilen,and much more........
The best known of Friesland’s watersports events are Skûtsjesilen’ and the ‘Sneek Regatta Week’. Skûtsjesilen is held in July. It is a race of old commercial sailing craft called ‘tjalken’, fully rigged, in which the skippers try to outmanoeuvre each other, often resulting in spectacular situations. A unique historic spectacle. The same goes for the Sneek Regatta Week in August, when there is a lively fleet of pleasure craft around Sneekermeer.
Apart form these, there are numerous other events in this interesting boating region all through the season. Should you like to know more about ‘fierljeppen’, or like to see a match of typical Frisian ‘kaatsen’ a ball sport, or want to know more about the century-old Peat Route, the VVV tourist information in Friesland and Northwest Overijssel will gladly inform you.
